#like the reason i got the evo was so i can hand out pictures to the people i'm with (while retaining my own copy)

[protect-namine]

printed a bunch of photos today! some from my instax evo, some from my canon selphy. I used to think I don't like taking pictures, but it turns out I just don't like posting them online lmao. I like them better in my hands. also, something about the process of posting digital photos doesn't really suit me. I don't like tagging, I don't like editing, I don't like putting faces on social media. whereas printed photos kinda allows me to just point and shoot, you know? something about physical photos makes non-professional very amateurish photos look charming

[mrsbsmooth]

Could you please do a head canon about Bruno’s life back home in Liverpool. Like what car do you imagine he drives, what’s his house/apartment like etc?

What is it with these asks reading my mind today? I was legit thinking about this yesterday as I drove home.

His house

-> My first instinct was that he still lived at home. But, after thinking about it, I think he has moved out, but the only reason for it was because his sisters told him that no girl would want to go out with him if he still lived with his Mum in his twenties. Cue panic. His sisters know exactly how to get in his head. He probably only moved out within the past year or two.

-> He's got roommates. He likes the company. Definitely at least one is a girl, and she mothers him a bit, making sure he's eating something other than porridge. I picture it being a really big, old house. Like a lovely old terrace. It's nothing super modern or fancy, but it has a great vibe and they all get along really well. A bit of a party house, maybe? Because of his work in standup, I wouldn't be surprised if they were mostly shift workers or night workers - bartenders, nurses, etc.

-> Probably near Anfield. He's a Liverpool FC boy and football is life. (Fuck The S*n).

His room

-> It's actually pretty neat. If you do the prank where you hide the boys' clothes in the freezer, Bruno comes to ask about them and says that 'the boys are saying I tidied them away somewhere'. So, it's canon that he's at least somewhat tidy. I think he's actually far neater than we'd think. (Again... thank his sisters. They would shame him for being gross or untidy)

-> That said, he does lose stuff a lot. So things are in weird places. It makes zero sense to anyone but him.

-> Probably has a giant Liverpool FC flag or something in his room. Maybe a signed jersey that's framed? I can imagine his sisters spoiling him a little and buying him one for his birthday.

-> Absolutely did not make his bed the one day he has a girl over, panics a little about it when he remembers.

His car

-> I am in two minds about this. He's either super not fussed about cars, or he's really into them (or thinks he is)

Option 1# - He doesn't even have a car. Mostly because he doesn't need one? The public transport in Liverpool is good. He doesn't live that far from work or his family, so he just gets public transport.

Option #2 - He does have a car, and it's a modified Subaru WRX or Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. He bought it second-hand when he was 19 from a guy who'd already done all the kit, because he thought he could get into being a 'car guy', even though he barely knows how to change a tyre. So yeah. Manual transmission, obnoxiously loud exhaust... he loves it though, and has had it for ages. It probably has a name.

-> Unlike his room, his car's a bit of a mess if he has one. He doesn't spend that much time in there. His backseat has a whole lot of random clothes in it and stuff he forgot about. Probably at least four umbrellas back there.

His job

-> Operations Assistant by day. I reckon he works at a small business / small-ish company. It literally is just a day job for him. They know about his standup dreams and are super supportive if he has to leave early to get somewhere for it.

-> He sucks at the organisational part of his job, but the owners don't really mind, because all the clients adore him. Most of the clients are local, and he just talks footie with them.

-> All his coworkers have been trying to set him up for ages. He's a nice kid - good-looking and funny, so I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them were trying to hook him up with their daughters too.

-> Probably has multiple flirtationships going at once - coffee shop barista, girl at the corner store, receptionist, but all of them harmless. Friendzones himself by being so disarmingly nice, but reluctant to ever ask any of them out.

-> He quit his job to come on Love Island. He told his old boss where he was going, and they said they'd have him back if things didn't work out for him, but he's hoping he doesn't have to. He knows they're all watching him on Love Island and he's absolutely cringing at the thought of them watching him getting laid.

-> He's had a very hit-and-miss standup career so far. He won a competition to open for Tiff's friend, and bombed. My HC is that he wrote something that really toed a line or was taboo, and then changed his mind / chickened out of performing the routine on the day because he decided it was too risky. So he tried coming up with something on the fly, and it went terribly. It destroyed his confidence, but he's been far more prepared since then and has been refocusing on just talking about stuff he knows. But when he's in his element, he kills it, and has built a reasonably strong reputation for himself.

-> Similar to in his day-job, he probably has a few older guys who've adopted him a little, mentoring him. HC of a Dodgeball / Patches O'Houlihan-style relationship with some former comedian who went off the rails or retired ages ago.

[not-too-many-eyes]

The ONE TIME I don't check Digimon Survive News is the day a 6 minute trailer for it comes out, hhhhhhhhh.

Gonna talk about some Cool Things about that trailed cause I'm very excited for Survive, mostly visual stuff since I don't know Japanese.

-BRANCHED EVOS FOR THE SIDE CHARACTERS, you can see in the trailed when they show Sangloupmon, Dracmon's Ultimate/Mega branches, probably only the Ultimate's/Mega's for the side characters but I still like there having branches, timestamp is 4:27 cause it's really easy to miss.

-Tyrannomon as an official Agumon Evolution here! There's pictures (that don't appear in the trailed) showing Tyrannomon taking the place of Greymon in the evolution shot thing, and those are real from what I can tell, trailer-wise you CAN actually see Tyrannomon as Takuma's Partner, at 4:34 of the trailer, same with Diatrymon being Falcomon's evo!

-THE ART OF THIS GAME IS JUST SO BEAUTIFUL, I love all the lighting and the art style of this game so much, plus it seems like the camera is pretty fantastic, with all the panning and close ups and general movement it's doing, something I find charming is that in one of the shot the camera bobs up and down to make it feel like your walking. That and also I just really like the limited animation and posing of this game, there's a lot of neat character poses and expressions, plus the poses and attacks the chibis do are really cute. Also Dracmon doesn't open his mouth and I love that.

Interesting thing to note: Some Shots are done in a comic style with panels, I don't know I just thought that was cool.

-THE SIBLINGS, THE TWO BLACK HAIRED ONES, I love how they just started the trailed with the sister getting forcibly dragged by the hands, also apparently the opening shot is the story of the Kemonogani, meaning that could mean those children got sacrificed. Also the girl seems to be connected to those weird frog thingys which *eyes*.

-I love the show where Arukenimon is right behind purple headband guy and he just...looks towards Arukenimon, really feels like a "...It's right behind me isn't it?" moment.

-Actually a lot of the new mons we saw are interesting, Arukenimon, Garurumon, Monzaemon, Gotsumon, even Biyomon, Palmon and Patamon, which we see terribly hurt in some sort of castle-like area, and there's also the weird frogs and that ball that you can see in the action turn part of the battlefield sometimes.

-HAT GUY IS NOT DEAD BUT ACTUALLY SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT! I've seen some places call him a Professor and that seems to make sense with the footage we've seen of him. Really curious to know what his role here is.

-HUANGLONGMON MIGHT BE HERE! At the end there's a mural thing they find and the beast there seems to be Huanglongmon, now if it is, is still unclear but they do look similar. Still interesting to note

-Weird Cloak Guy has been repeatedly been compared to Piedmon, for multiple reasons but the main evidence is the blue ribbons behind them and the heart charm thing, not completely sure if I believe this but the Weird Cloak Guy is VERY NOTEWORTHY so it is here.

There's probably more things I missed but I am tired, I'm so excited for Survive.

[holyhikari]

Okay. Okay. It’s 2020, most of the world is shut down and the first episode of Digimon Adventure aired yesterday, missing a ‘Butter-Fly’ and with a colon to spare. Life sure is something. 

Gotta say I’m relieved. (For now, at least.) Sure, yeah, I got into the hype train for the reboot from the get-go and determined to just have fun, but. If I can picture all the ways something can go wrong — go BORING — down to excruciating details right from the first episode, why not? That’s what brains are for. So that’s what I did. 

Should have saved all that energy. 

I want to share with all of you my thoughts on this episode, break it down a little bit; how it made me feel, the few character introductions we got, the pace, the plot and its possibilities. 

As much as I want to approach this series keeping the idea of authenticity in mind, it is a reboot. They chose a certain set of (popular!) pre-existent characters to explore, to work with; a balance between creating and adapting. And I’m very interested in seeing how they’ll combine the core elements of Digimon Adventure with all there is unique to this generation of kids, teens and, you know it, adults who stuck around. 

Since all we’ve got is the introduction to the series, I’ll be contrasting TOKYO DIGITAL CRISIS to how the original Adventure kicked off back in 1999 with  ADRIFT? THE ISLAND OF ADVENTURE!

I did try to keep this as coherent and review-like as possible, but there’s a fair amount of fan-girling and it’s all seen through my very biased Adventure-stan-colored lens. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya. 

‘99 starts with an image of our planet, and  ‘20 starts almost the same. This time, though, we can see we aren’t alone. ‘The Digital World affecting the Earth’ is something that happens, I believe, in every Digimon reincarnation. In ‘99, it’s deeply affecting our climate. Now, the issue doesn’t seem so drastic that it’s able to reach influence organic matter and mess up many Nature’s cycles across the globe, but it’s still not looking so good for our kids. (It’s the first episode and Hikari and Yuuko almost get train-sandwiched, but I suppose that almost having your head chopped off, courtesy of Kuwagamon, isn’t lovely either.) 

Anyway. 

I think this Digital World/Network shot isn’t actually part of the episode? I think it’s part of the opening (I mean, not the OP sequence with the song, obviously), and that we’ll be seeing it before each episode starts. Still, it’s an interesting juxtaposition, isn’t it?

A Glorious World is upon us! I wasn’t actually expecting Butter-Fly or anything similar to it, don’t worry. I’m glad the new OP is its own thing! I want Digimon Adventure ‘20 to be as authentic as possible without losing the original’s heart. The song is nice enough. I don’t want to compare it to Butter-Fly, but I’m only human. Give me a few episodes. Gotta let go. 

The OP has way more Taichi than the others. No surprise there. He’s our goggle boy. (Still, since they went for a quick throwback to the original opening, it’s a shame only Taichi was shown falling down towards the Digital World). 

Everyone got a part, though. Shout out to Takeru and Hikari for being yet again the ominous, powerful baby-faced duo that is definitely up to something. 

It’s so interesting that, while the other crests are shown very clearly and surrounded by sparkles, Light and Hope are only shown briefly shining in their partners’ shadows. Why is Takeru so far away from us, why is this so sinister-looking. Hi, mysterious plot. Nice to meet you.

Wherever Hikari is by the end of the OP, it reminds me of Vamdemon’s castle. Maybe she feels connected to Tailmon and follows her somehow? Angemon wasn’t shown in the OP with the older six children’s partners, just Patamon. I wonder if they’ll try to make us grieve for Angemon a second time. It’d work with me. Either way, I imagine we’re in for another last-minute Patamon evolution when everything looks hopeless. 

This time, though, we’ve got Hikari from the beginning (yes, I am VERY excited about this, thank you for asking, THIS IS WHAT I DESERVE), and, while I think Patamon is more powerful in regular conditions (as in, Angemon can probably take Angewomon in a fight despite the level imbalance, but as soon as Hikari starts glowing you know who’s winning), he will now be sharing the spotlight with another Archangel evolution… as his friend or as his foe, considering that Tailmon might be a double agent of some sorts in the beginning. Welp. 

Anyway. Toei isn’t fooling around, in the OP we can see MetalGreymon in a very scary-looking, glitchy fashion that I’m LIVING for, WarGreymon’s silhouette and, good grief, there’s even a glimpse of Omegamon. Talk about too much information. Maybe chill out a little? (I say this, but the adults already know all of their evos, and the kids just want MOOOOOOORE monstahhhhhrrrrrrsss….which is fair.)

MetalGreymon looks dope here. The others, though, are only shown up to their Adult evolution, even Gabumon. I don’t think they will have only Gabumon and Agumon reaching their Mega forms, and then fusing into Omegamon while everyone else only gets as far as Perfect.  Again.

They wouldn’t do this to us. Right? Yeah, they would. Maybe we can have Holydramon/Ophanimon and Seraphimon later on, as a treat. Aaaaaand, depending on how many episodes — how many seasons — this new timeline gets, I’m not giving up hope just yet. Let me have Phoenixmon, Toei, you heartless thing. 

Moving on to the actual episode… The first non-Digimon character to show up is the true protagonist. Our queen is back. Our little Digivice thief, Miko herself.

Just you wait, you ain’t gonna be Hikari’s favorite cat-like creature for long. 

Speaking of Hikari, LOOK AT THIS WITTLE BABY GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2020 Taichi right off the bat was Taichi for me. He’s talking to Yuuko and yells “Hikariii~” so loudly Hikari hears it from where she stands, the short cutie. Their mom just hands down the phone for her without missing a beat so Taichi can comfort her through whatever she’s worrying about (her summer classes, probably). Such a sweet, natural little moment that flashes both characters out. I want more of that, please.

We’re then introduced to Koushiro! I’m not gonna lie, I cringed the first time I heard him speak. I thought the voice didn’t fit him very well. This impression faded quickly enough, though, and I’m already attached to his new voice. Later, I realized that part of the reason he sounded off to me was because of how nervous he seemed — around Taichi, of all people! In this version, they’re just meeting for the first time, so it’s very in-character for him. Guess I was kinda shocked seeing Koushiro not feeling at ease talking to Taichi. Poor thing is Anxious! And he’s overthinking about Summer Camp! And he’s happy Taichi is his neighbor! That certainly would’ve helped during the Vandemon arc back in ‘99. 

Koushiro gets a little bit over his awkwardness upon hearing the news regarding the cyber attack, something he’s curious about, and finally steps towards Taichi instead of away, which is spot on. These two fall into an easy camaraderie, as they SHOULD, and they head to the train station together, where Taichi decides to, I don’t know… run like crazy on the tracks until he gets to the rogue train where his family is and stop it with sheer force of will? Yeah! Sounds like him! 

And now to one of the most interesting parts of this adaption, is that they’re showing us the Crests early on and HOW they’re doing it. 

Taichi is able to meet Koromon because he’s being brave.

I mean, the first time, he was chosen because of his courage, too, but they all go in together. They’re taken. They’re washed off the Earth. And while Taichi had no idea he was going to be pulled into the Net, he chose to try to save Hikari and his mom (and, a few moments later, he chose to dive in towards Koromon). This time, it feels so much more personal. The screen switched back and forth between the Crest of Courage, Taichi and Hikari, who I believed called his name. The scene worked so well! (Following this pattern, Koushiro gets his Digivice when expressing curiosity, the will to pursue an explanation for what was happening!!!!)

On the other hand, it’s sort of bittersweet  they weren’t pulled in together. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad they didn’t try to introduce all of them AND the Digital World at the same time again. But… ‘99 established them as a ‘team’ within seconds. It’s interesting, though. I’m VERY curious to see how their bonding will go this time around!

Taichi and Koromon meeting was beautiful. I was worried the soundtrack wouldn’t even stand a chance against the masterpiece that is the original one, but the musing playing was so delicate, so majestic. I felt I was witnessing a precious moment. Also, Koromon’s ears twisting into how we represent the DNA while he was evolving was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SUCH A GOOD DETAIL!!!!!! 

It cracked me up when Koushiro said that what was happening was very surprising while not sounding surprised at all. I wonder how long the kid has been looking into the cyber attacks. Oh, and the Network is pretty. Prettier than I had anticipated, though not that different from Appmon’s style, I think? I can’t wait to get a look at the actual Digital World and see if it has that unique feeling and that odd, watercolor painting aesthetic. I hope I can trust the OP:

 Did you notice that Agumon giggled a few times? He looked at Taichi with such love, familiarity and devotion and like he knew something. It felt… right. My heart. My poor, poor heart. (I know this Agumon probably has met Taichi before inside of this very Universe, like the Hikarigaoka incident in the original version, but I like to think about Universe-hopping platonic soulmates.) 

Overall the sound work was fantastic, but this scene deserves a highlight. The noise of the Kuramon lookalike moving after evolving was genuinely disturbing. And look at how pretty this is:

Speaking of evolution, AGUMON EVOLVING INTO GREYMON WAS THE SHIT. I loved how straight-up FERAL it was, while still keeping the “Digital” part of “Digital Monster” very much present. It reminded me a bit of Hosoda’s Greymon (most amazing Greymon to this day!) in the Digimon Adventure Movie and, now that I think of it, of him fighting in some Tri. Reunion scenes. Scary Greymon is the best Greymon. Yes. I like it when the Digimon manage to disturb and scare me, okay? They aren’t called monsters for nothing. 

I mean we got to see his horn literally bursting out of his skin. This is low-key terrifying. 10/10.

BUT WHERE IS THE EVOLUTION THEME SONG

I am: deceased. Cause of death: Hikari’s soft smile when she realizes her big brother managed to help them. 

Alternatively, this first pic had killed me on the spot.

FINALLY, we get to see Yamato, and of course, he’s staring down dramatically at Taichi on top of Garurumon like the intense person he is. And, no big deal, there’s a cyber attack in a U.S military base and, uh, apparently the next episode is the 2020 version of Bokura no War Game?! 

I— WHAT?!

No pressure, am I right? I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be falling off a good ol’ cliff with my camping buddies. 

To be honest, if they intended to end it like this, it felt like this should’ve been a special episode. Maybe one-hour-long or so? Why……….HOW……….. They wanna go from the pilot straight to a Bokura no War game tribute?! The very movie that introduced Omegamon. I swear, if Omegamon’s debut is the SECOND episode, I’m gonna break. How is this gonna work. Well, at least they have us… intrigued? 

The ED is so Yamato-focused it’s almost weird that his voice actor isn’t the one singing lmao. That amount of Yamatoness got me by surprise. Some of the pics look like a PowerPoint presentation of CD cover ideas for his yet-to-exist (or not) band… and I say this lovingly, okay? I love him so much. 

This is my favorite one!

I lost count of how many times I listened to this song!! It also got me hooked up. What’s up with Takeru and how the writers took the whole Angel aesthetic to a whole new level?! Is he sick? Is he dying? Is this why Yamato is so sad and lonely throughout the ED?????? EVERYONE GO BEFRIEND HIM. I heard he’s a good friend.

Be right back, I’m gonna tattoo this pic to my face.

Bonus commentary!

I bet I wasn’t the only one looking for  random cameos whenever they showed us crowds. Didn’t find anyone we know, but I’m sure this will change. 02 characters cameos, I’m ready for you. 

Soooooooooo the Tachikawa own a tech company this time?? For all we know they own Japan. That’s scarier than the Diablomon-like virus giving Trump a headache. If so, Mimi is gonna be way more spoiled than before. Oh, dear.

I HOPE WE SEE MORE OF THESE PIXEL BABIES! That was a perfect Easter egg.

If none of these icons at the bottom is the Digimon Analyzer, then what’s the point of my entire existence? 

I can’t wait for next Saturday! Even if solely to yell “WHY??????” at my screen.  

I can’t thank you enough if you read this far!

[funhaversclub]

HELLO HELLO! long time no see :)

I was going to post about all the new information we got from the Pokemon Sword and Shield expansion video but that's already been done. Instead I've decided to post about something much more dear to my heart. The teaser of the Galarian Slowbro and Slowking! BUT Not only that! This post evolved into basically an appreciation of my favorite Pokemon family. I know some of you may not think Shellder and Cloyster belong in this family but technically Slowpoke couldn’t grow without them. On that note let's get into it.

GALARIAN SLOWKING!

The first Pokemon addressed above is the Galarian Slowking... or Slowqueen?... Based on the information we were shown I think what happens to this iteration of Slowking is the Shellder crown, instead of just sitting on Slowpoke's head, swallows the head almost completely. You can see this in what looks like the Shellder Shell's eye in the left side of the scribbled out head. In doing this the Shellder becomes the pilot in this symbiotic relationship. Not only that but the Poison of Shellder seeps through Slowpoke's body even more than in the original Slowking making this version a Poison/Psychic type! I designed the shell to resemble Cloyster's spikes more than the original look. Another neat aspect could be seeing the powerful Poison/Physic energy flowing through causing a smoky aura to leak out through cracks in the crown as pictured below. As for how it evolves I'm not really sure. Maybe instead of a King's Rock it could be the Queen's Ore that you find in the Crown Tundra!

Some people seem to think Slowking could be a ghost or dark type this time around. With the Shellder possibly breaking, maybe the spirit inhabits or possesses Slowking? I like the idea of the crown breaking so I sketched this up!

GALARIAN SLOWBRO!

Secondly we have the Galarian Slowbro. The first thing to mention about the information we've been given is that this iteration of Slowbro has no Shellder on it's tail! This is odd because originally it was said that in order for Slowbro to even stand it needed the counterweight of the Shellder to lift it. I figured that meant this time around Slowbro is stronger on it's own. Hence the flex pose I gave it :) In the bottom left of the leaked imagery above we even see what looks like Slowpoke possibly learning to stand by itself? We also see a sketch of the Slowpoke fishing so where does the Shellder go? In that leak image, top left, it looks like the tail is possibly flinging the Shellder up. This, combined with the Pokemon website talking about Galarian Slowpoke's body changing through seeds it eats might mean that the Shellder doesn't hold on the same way? Maybe the tail has become bitter and Shellder no longer likes the taste? So Possibly when Shellder is "reeled" in it releases itself BUT lands on the Slowpoke's head instead of staying on the tail. This theory comes from another small glimpse we get in the teaser. A small image of Slowbro's purple head. We don't see Slowbro's ears so I took it upon myself to unwind them. Along with that, I took the purple forehead as more of the Shellder shell than just color. We do also see an image of the trainer Avery with what looks like a royal looking Slowbro complete with a tiny hat/shell and a frilly garment BUUUUT I kind of feel like this is an artsy picture of a Slowpoke dressed up. I could be wrong though so I added the features in the image below. Anyways, with the Shellder on it's head instead of tail, it doesn't change shape the same way. With no delicious tail to munch on the Shellder finds no reason to "evolve" itself. The Shellder's poison begins to seep through Slowbro but not in the same way as Slowking. It pushes poison through Slowbro's body giving him strength to stand as well as making it's hands and tail a purple color. I think this version of Slowbro would also be Psychic/Poison. Who knows how it will evolve. Possibly fishing the same way Slowbro’s lore has always been but as for in game it could be an item or it could be leveling up. We will have to find out in the Isle of Armor.

I don’t really think the frilled chested Slowbro is going to be part of the evolution but some people seem to think it could because of a new Galarian Shellder. I’ll admit when I first saw the image I thought maybe it could be something but the fabric around the neck made me think it was just clothes of some sort. That plus are they really going to also add a Shellder regional variant on top of the three new Slows? BUT for the sake of artistic fun I thought what if a Galarian Shellder had parts that looked like a neck tie? and I’m pretty sure a frilled clam shell is a thing…  So I whipped up the pearl cheeked, smooched lipped Galarian Shellder you see below! I realize that this type of shell is basically what Clampearl is based on and it very well could just be that that helps the evolution. Really, it could be a number of older gen sea dwellers that could contribute. Only time will tell.  

There’s a theory floating around that’s pretty interesting. The same way that I made Galar Slowbro have a Shellder helmet because we can’t see the top of it’s head in the teaser, people are saying because we can’t see it’s left hand maybe something happens to it? One of those somethings could be that Slowpoke fishes out a Shellder with it’s hand instead of it’s tail. This could result in some sort of powerful shell fist? or a rocket arm shell? who knows? When I was drawing this it reminded me of a arm cannon so I added the same “smoke/aura” I used on my Galarian Slowking (or Queen?) 

I’m REALLY hoping on top of all the cool new Slow-ness we also get Gigantamax forms of both these majestic beasts! Maybe something like a Slowpoke surrounded by a giant Shellder coral reef? Maybe because the Corsola of Galar are dying it could look like dying angry coral reef? Here’s a sketch up of the idea I had.

...Well that's about all I have to say about our new Galar Slow family. Seeing as how this has become a Slow Family appreciation post I'll continue with the odd looking Shellders.

Johto Shellder & Johto Cloysters!

Using very old concept art for variations on the Shellder shells attached to Slowbro's tail, I came up with the art for this Shellder trio. Not to mention in the Beta for Pokemon Gold and Silver it was revealed that this Shellder was going to be a stand alone Pokemon! Because of that Beta I'll be referring to them as Johto Shellder and Johto Cloysters.

It's said that when Shellder attaches to Slowpoke not only does it's shape change to become more defensive but also to get as much flavor out of the tail as possible. I thought a neat way to acquire this Johto Shellder would be to "evolve" a Slowbro at a high level holding an item and an open slot in your party I was thinking you could give Slowbro some sort of berry that fills up a Pokemon for a very long time with a single bite. Leveling up a Slowbro holding this berry causes an abundance of nutrients to flow to the Johto Shellder. Being full, it lets go of the tail but retains its form. This leaves the trainer with a Slowpoke in the empty slot and a brand new Johto Shellder in it's place! From Here I figured you could evolve the Johto Shellder in two ways. A higher defense stat would result in the small but thick Johto Cloyster and with a higher attack stat it would evolve into the soft but super spiky Johto Cloyster! woo! I Haven't really decided the typing of these Pokemon yet. 

The Johto Shellders I drew originally came from an older project I was working on. If you want to check out "Capsule Monsters 0 & 1" you can follow this link:

https://funhaversclub.tumblr.com/post/49391556862/just-like-before-with-every-picture-ive-added

Finally we have this Slowpoke with it’s little white belly exposed. This was a sprite used in the Japanese version of Pokemon Gold and Silver before being changed when it was released everywhere else. I thought this could be seen as a rarer type of Slowpoke that is VERY hard to find BUT has much higher stats. Kind of like a unique shiny. That OR it could be the Slowpoke that you get after evolving a Johto Shellder. 

Speaking of Shiny. This entire family of Slows and Shells have some unique shiny forms. We have yet to see Galarian evos Shinys but maybe I'll update this post with an interpretations of what I think they could look like later? for now here are all the shiny versions we currently have!

Since the Galarian Slowpoke has been implemented into Pokemon Sword and Shield we know what the Shiny Galarian Slowpoke looks like. Based on that, I’ve “Shiny-fied” my predictions of the Galarian Slowbro and Slowking.

I can’t wait to see what these guys actually turn out to look like! :)

I've taken some artistic liberties above but for a complete fan fic Slowbro evolution check out this idea on what other shells Slowbro could acquire:

https://funhaversclub.tumblr.com/post/115033630741/a-new-pokemon-fan-trend-going-around-its-drawing

Welp thank you for coming to my Slow Family ted talk. I'll leave you with a picture of a Slowpoke I found down by the beach near my house :) What a cutie.

[dinnerkingdedede]

An updated guide to my squid/octopus children (Pre-Splatocalypse)

I felt that the old guide was getting a bit outdated, so I’m making a new one.

Click the ‘Keep Reading’ link for bios!

Darwin Clamilton

Gear: Retro Specs, Birded Corduroy Jacket, Pro Trail Boots Eyes: Green  Ink: Light Blue Favorite Weapon: Undercover Sorella Brella Manga Name: Corduroy

The star of this here show! Being an excellent Smash player, Darwin sucks at pretty much everything else (including turf war). He's highly defensive of himself with his plaid umbrella, and tends to act reckless upon failure. Holding his sister Remona and his love interest Amby close to him, Darwin will do everything in his power to fight for what is right. And if that means he must die, then he will choose death.

===================================

Remona ‘Rem’ Clamilton

Gear: 18K Aviators, Eggplant Mountain Coat, Angry Rain Boots Eyes: Blue  Ink: Yellow Favorite Weapon: Splash-o-Matic Manga Name: Eggplant

The eponymous younger sister, Remona is an energetic girl who succeeds at everything her big brother cannot, the greatest of which is turf war. Contrary to her in-game appearance, she is most commonly seen with her shades up and her friends just call her Rem. With her big bro being the most valuable thing to her, Remona believes nothing should stand between her and Darwin, not even his love interest Amby.

===================================

Vaya Lynch

Gear: Sneaky Beanie, Annaki Evolution Tee, Punk Blacks Eyes: Red  Ink: Purple Favorite Weapon: Dark Tetra Dualies Manga Name: Evo

If you look up the word “antihero,” you'll get a picture of Vaya. Beneath that face mask of hers is a mouth that never smiles. After getting her hands on a prototype set of Dark Tetra Dualies, Vaya turned turf war upside down. But her dominance didn't last, for it wasn't until she made headlines that the authorities confiscated her weapons and replaced them with the significantly less OP production model. Vaya isn't as powerful as she was back then, but Inklings still give her the nickname "Hurtful Purple" for a reason.

===================================

Nigel McMillon

Gear: Gas Mask, Dark Urban Vest, Pro Trail Boots Eyes: Blue  Ink: Blue Favorite Weapon: Neo Splash-o-Matic Manga Name: Urban

The OG. Nigel lived near Inkopolis Plaza since the first game came out, but he only moved to Inkopolis Square after 3.0 dropped in the second game. He calls his Neo Splash-o-Matic his precious, and his gear reflects the fact that he's virtually a one man splatocalypse on the turf war front. Nigel's personality (and voice) is best described as Roadhog with his gas mask on, and Shulk while it's taken off.

===================================

Shiro Sakamodo

Gear: Octoglasses, Kung-Fu Zip-Up, Annaki Arachno Boots Eyes: Black  Ink: Magenta Favorite Weapon: Kensa Octobrush Manga Name: Kung-Fu

After having escaped the confines of the Kamabo Co. test chambers, Shiro has come to Inkopolis to turn a new leaf. Adept in the art of the black brush, he takes part in turf war battles every day to hone his skills. A consistently serious face and a self-centered nature shows that Shiro is committed to achieve his goal of becoming a real samurai, just like his Octarian ancestors were.

===================================

Amby Valentine

Gear: Pilot Goggles, Rodeo Shirt, Red Work Boots Eyes: Black  Ink: Magenta Favorite Weapon: Nautilus 47 Manga Name: Rodeo

With a background similar to Shiro's, Amby is one of the friendliest Octolings to escape the Deepsea Metro. A natural tinkerer, she got inspired by the Nautilus 47's design and converted one into an arm cannon for her to use in turf war. Because of Amby's kind attitude towards others, she managed to win Darwin's heart. Or did Darwin win her heart, showing that he can be successful in more than just Smash Bros.?

===================================

That’s it for the pre-Splatocalypse bios, but I’ll make another post once Splatoon 3 comes out so I can make some for new and returning characters if possible.

[handmadecp]

A5 Leather Sketch Pad Cover.

Hi Guys, here’s another little Project that I reckon is suitable for all levels, as with the Previous A4 you can pretty much do as much or as little as you feel capable of for these. I’m doing a bit of a ‘Run’ on these types of covers at the moment as I discovered I have a draw full of new Notebooks etc. That’s what happens when you pick ‘the odd one’ up every time you go out. (Ha). but they are all varying sizes so should be fun figuring it all out. So..let’s get on.

So, here’s what I was aiming for and as you can see it came out pretty good. Always room for improvement..but not too shabby I think, hope you agree. I decided to do a Sheridan…esq’ type of design that I found in a big Leather craft book which I will show as we go through the build. Here we have the front view.

Back View

Side view showing the Tooled design going over the spine, I was going to leave it blank along here but after cutting the design in I didn’t like it so carried it around and I think it has given the cover a nice look, not often you see a cover with so much detail along the spine…you can do as you choose, it’s your project, if you are a beginner..don’t sweat the small stuff, just do what feels right for you, if you leave it blank this time…maybe you will have built some confidence by the second one..it’s all good. So let’s see how we got to this point.

I struggle to understand the ‘Ounce’ measurements they use to choose thicknesses..which is why I like to get hands on when choosing my leather, so for the benefit of all those who like me would rather they spoke English (lol) I will just describe it. I found a nice shiny, bendable and very ‘tactile’ piece of Veg tan leather, has to be on the high end of the ‘Grading’ as it is a beautiful piece..See, if you think it feels right for a Book cover..go for it, basically find a piece you like, not a dried out lower grade one as the shinier it is to start, the better the finished look will be.

Next I chose the book size I was going to do, I chose A5, you can choose whatever size you wish and just adjust for it as you make it. Seen here is me checking that I have a good excess around the edges. Many times when I first started I would think I had enough then by the time I’ve tooled, cut burnished, stitched and all the other doo dadding that goes on I would find that I couldn’t fit the book in any more and would have to cut the back cover to fit…not a good look…but you live and learn. also I will show another little trick that I use…I have to say I’ve never seen anyone else do this ‘ever’..so I’m claiming it lol. keep reading.

I like to use this method as it saves on a lot of measuring ( not that measuring is bad..I just prefer simpler ways..like this. I place the book inside the cover (to be) and run my finger around the outline of the book as shown here, this leaves a nice outline of the book…after that all I have to do is make sure I don’t glue or stitch any where near that and I’m good to go. Easy. Also, you can do this more permanent as a feature by wetting (Casing) the leather and use something to make the outline more pronounced as a ‘Feature. I like this look but it’s your choice.

Here I am tracing the design I want from a big Leather Craft book, there are many to choose from out there.( I can draw, but tracing is much quicker, I’m still practicing my Sheridan tecnique…for a future project. So this is fine for now. ) Tape the paper down if you need to, I would recommend decorators paper tape..it leaves less marks and doesn’t tend to tear your books. (Generally lol).

Next I wet (Cased) the leather really well, you don’t want it soaking , then leave it to dry out a bit enough to place the tracing over it without it going ‘mushy’. take a ball point stylus tool if you have one and trace over the whole design. If you don’t have one..you can use a pencil or pen but go easy you don’t want to tear through the paper, you only need a light imprint.

Here you can see how the ‘imprint’ has come out, faint but enough, no deep gouges. also note the outline of the book after I wet it and rubbed all around it. I actually used a spoon to do that.

I have chosen to use my new swivel knife with the thicker grip, it is a better option for people with hand problems like myself.

Almost half way, I am cutting the design into the leather. You need to remember how thick..or not your leather is, you want to leave a reasonable depth cut but at the same time you don’t want to cut right through…not a good look.

The design is now cut into the leather and ready for tooling. By now there should still be sufficient moisture in the leather to give a good imprint of the tool…if when you strike the tool you are left with a dark..brownish looking mark   / line..then the moisture is about right, if it is very light then just wipe a damp sponge over it again…not as much as the first time as you are just ‘Topping up’ the moisture content.

Using the Swivel knife, notice I’m trying to keep the knife straight..but I am also tilting it back at an angle ..basically cutting using one corner of the blade.  I learned all this from youtube vids, there are a lot of talented people out there willing to share their knowledge to us for free. Using a swivel knife feels very strange if you have never used one before, I thought I would never get it right…but time and practice is all you need.

The design after the cutting is done.

Half way through the Beveling. Note the white glove, I use soft cotton gloves to prevent my finger nails leaving drag lines or indents on the leather, I was told about this from a youtuber and it’s a great bit of advice for helping to keep your work that bit more professional looking, but …your choice.

Beveling finished, now for the detail work using the rest of my tools and the swivel knife again.

Half way through the detailing.

Close up of the detailing work, the darker areas are the ones that haven’t dried out as quickly.

Notice the marks on the flower leaves, these are called ‘Decorative cuts and are not meant for beveling, they add depth and character to a picture ( this is all learned from youtube vids, I highly recommend you have a look if unsure how to do certain things…or feel free to ask me  and I’ll answer as best I can, by the end of this there wil be hundreds more.

Much more detailing done now, there is a tool called a Pear shader…so called because it is shaped like a pear lol…I have used it to give a flattened almost bruised look to some of the leaves, you can see the light catching on them on the leaves. also, lots of ‘spiraling’ done now along the edges of leaves making them look like they want to unfurl. all these looks are created using a very basic tooling set, it just takes practice. I am by no means a professional…far from it but I have been doing this now for three and a half years and have seen how my old work looks compared to todays, like I said..it takes practice and I practice every week and hope to get even better one day.

After letting it dry out for a while this is starting to look like a book cover now.

Glad I chose to cover the spine too, it looks great.

So now I need to fit the inner piece that will hold the book in place, nothing fancy here, I just cut a piece of the same leather to fit, glued the edges with my evo stick 528 glue (which I use all the time) as shown in next pic and stuck them together , used a roller to flatten it.

Marked the area to glue..expecting that some of it will get cut off when I ‘Trim’ the cover to it’s final size…but for now it helps.

I have now trimmed the cover to it’s required size and used a coin to round the corners, it always looks better than leaving them square I think.

You can see here that I’ve done a stamped edge to the inner piece, there will also be one on the outside upper area , it catches the eye and ‘pulls’ the whole thing together…in your mind.  ( wooaah..deep lol. ) See the block of wax, If you are punching the stitch holes and you find it getting trapped in the leather…once out, push it into the wax a few times then try again, you should find that it slides out easily.

So, we are all cut, bevelled, tooled, stamped and had stitch holes put in where needed, now I’m covering the bits I don’t want to dye, I like the inside to be left flesh colored so I use Decorators tape to cover it but you might choose to dye that too. I’ve also tucked a piece underneath the inner flap thingy piece incase any dye tries to ‘wick’ to the underneath.

As it’s a big ..ish area to dye I didn’t use the daubers they awould take too long and it’s harder to get even coverage, so I use a sponge as shown and it goes on fast and I am able to even it out quickly as shown below.

A nice even coating of the Eco Flo Burgundy color water stain dye. here it is drying out.

Same on the inside, here it is dried and tape removed.

Here you can really see the Leather taking on a new life as a Book Cover but it still needs the Antique coating to really make the design stand out.

About to add the Antique dye, when using this if your first time, put some on a sponge…have some rags to hand….rub it over the area you want to cover ..as quickly as you can then wipe off immediately…Antique dye will darken everything it touches within seconds, so get it on and wipe off, if there are areas that need more…put a bit more on and do the same again…on..then off. Eventually you will probably just need to check there are no tiny areas that need doing..just dab these areas and wipe of until done. If however you look at it and think..oops it’s really darker than I expected now, don’t panic, also have to hand a fresh sponge with some water, dampen the sponge and wipe gently those area you wish to lighten. Don’t press down or you will lift the dye from inside the detail lines….you want the dye to stay inside the detail as that’s what makes it stand out.

Right, so now we are within sight of the finish line, you should be pretty pleased with your efforts by this point if you have given it a go. here you can see the decorative stamp work across the top, this was added to cover a large un tooled area but once a line of stamp was added inside as well it all started to become one. ( Yes..we arty farty types do get dramatic hahahaha. )..nearly there.

The full area just antiqued and drying.

For a finishing touch I added a small snap stud fastener strap which I stamped before doing the stitching.

That strap was attached with a rivet as can be seen here, nothing flashy and I coated the dyes parts of the project with leather Sheen by Fiebings, using a sponge again, there will be bubbles when you do this…there always are, some people water this stuff down a bit and that works for them, but I use it straight and keep gently sponging until the bubbles are gone and it starts to dry and disappear.

You can see the bubbles as I add the sheen coating, easy to do, just keep wiping gently and as the sheen thickens there become less bubbles ..then it goes smooth and see through leaving a lovely shine.

You can leave it there if you like, just Buff up the sheen coating till it shines and you’re done, or..you can add a Leather Balm coat, I use Effax from Norway which is a Bridle treatment that softens leather and it smells great, you could also use Aussie coat or any other Good leather balm if you wanted, that’s just my preference.

These two previous pics show me rubbing in the Balm coat, It’s very waxy so I also then use a hair dryer (Not a heat gun)..to melt the Balm, leave it about 20 mins and then start buffing as I am doing here, it can take a while but keep going because that effax balm does shine up after a bit of elbow grease and the finished look is just brilliant.

Annnnd..we’re done. If you’ve made one of these yourself after this give yourself a round of applause, if you are thinking of doing one after seeing this..I highly recommend you do…you will have great fun and a sense of accomplishment when you are done. If you can’t tool..no problem..a plain nicely dyed and shined up leather cover looks equally as stylish and cool. Hope you will put your pics up if you give it a go..please send me some private pics in my messages as I don’t seem to be getting to see anybodys work lately….and ask any questions, always happy to help, thanks. More to come from the new Workshop this year, hoping to be self employed soon and will be banging stuff out lol…well..thats the idea, we’ll see. Guys, thank you for following my little blog, I hope it entertains you and encourages some of you to give it a go. ‘Till next time..stay Crafty.

[jinjojess]

Oh, All-knowing Jess, hear my call and drive away my doubts: how was received in Japan the datamining of the beta of Pokémon Gold? What do you think about it? Are some Pokémon you like or want in actual games? (Personally, my favourite is that creepy Pinsir, for some reasons it reminds me of the Kaonashi from Spirited Away!)

You know, that’s a good question. I’ve seen some fanart and reactions on Twitter, but I didn’t really follow it much, sorry!

To make it up to you, I will now review all of the betas:

Chikorita! 

Yay! I think I’ve made it very clear that I am a big fan of this little plant nugget, so I don’t have much to add really.

10/10

AAAGGGGHHH?! 

What the fuck is this thing? How does this relate to Chikorita or Meganium, who are both largely unchanged from their beta designs? Where are the eyes? Like I’m diggin’ the tiny smug face-looking thing at the top of the bulb, but what’s the deal with the huge single eye down below? Where did the legs go? Why does the body shape change so drastically in the in-between stage when both the first and third stages are quadrupeds?!

0/10 would not trade Bayleef for it

Meganium

Whew, okay. Back on familiar ground here. Meganium is likely my least favorite of the Johto starters’ final forms, but I still like my big, dumb boy.

8/10

Tepkon 

Awww~!

So unpopular opinion, but for a long time I really disliked cyndaquil’s design. I’ve come around to it these days, but back when GS came out, it really put me off. This thing is absolutely adorable, and though the design isn’t super inspired, I still fucking love it.

7/10 wouldn’t trade cyndaquil for it, but would love to see the design reworked for future games

Chubby quilava

This is like quilava’s cousin who grows up to discover that he’s actually more of a bear than a twink. Really like it–seems very cuddly.

7/10 like quilava better but I support this thicc boi

Kirara

Seriously, this is basically just Kirara from Inuyasha. Not as crazy about this design as its pre-evos, especially since it seems like it’s trying to edge in on arcanine’s floof territory. An okay pokemon, but not a fave.

6/10 would not trade typhlosion for it

Baby Nessie

Totodile was one of those pokemon that I had been low-key hoping for, but I gotta admit that this is one adorable little fucker. Look at its stubby limbs! Its cute snoot! Its pudgy tail!

6/10 would not trade totodile but would love to see in another game

Let me clear my thoat (I hope ya don’t mind)

I am…less enthused about the middle evo. The eyes are cute and the little shy smile is to die for, but the…ballast? on its throat kind of looks like a giant boil and I’m not really here for that.

4/10 no thanks I’ll keep croconaw

Dragonair but with legs

The final evo I like a bit more–it looks like a dragonair that struck up a deal with Ursula the sea witch so that it could pursue its land-dwelling love. Now that the gem isn’t jammed right up under the chin it’s less off-putting, and the kind of fang-looking necklace is a Good Look.

6/10 still prefer feraligatr but GameFreak please dust off this design

Hoot-Hoot’s just really into henna right now

I’ve never been a huge fan of hoot-hoot, and I kind of like the extra markings. I assume they were taken off to make the design less busy as well as giving it a fanned tail, but I think I’d actually prefer this one.

5/10 would replace regular hoot-hoot with this one

It is the night

Okay, here we go! Now this is a cool-looking pokemon that would make training up a damn hoot-hoot worth it. Noctowl is a decent pokemon in the game since it means you get access to psychic moves early in the game, but I’ve always thought the design looked too goofy. I like irl owls a lot and this design really speaks to me.

8/10 go back in time and give teenage me this bird instead

Mareep

There’s not a ton to say here other than they lightened up mareep’s fleshy bits in the final release, and I like mareep quite a bit so there we go. Instead, I want to draw attention to this disaster of a backsprite. What am I even looking at? A giant ball of cotton candy that rolled through a bunch of broken candy canes?

9/10 I mean I like mareep, but I gotta take off a point for that awful backsprite

Flaaffy

Flaaffs seems largely unchanged. I’m pretty partial to this boi as well, especially since I had one following me for a bit in my Japanese Soul Silver game.

8/10 I like flaaffy, but fuck that name spelling

Ampharos

One of my fave Gen 2 pokemon! Doesn’t seem to have much different about it, though I did always question where the delightful floof went. I mean we get it back in the mega evolution but still. What was that about, GameFreak?

9/10 docked a point for lack of floof

Mikon

So this is clearly a pre-evo idea for vulpix, and it’s pretty damn cute. I love that with the addition of this member to the family, it’s confirmed that the line increases its number of tails by 3 every time it evolves. I like this, but I’m not entirely sold on it. The face lacks some detail and I feel like the design isn’t different enough from vulpix to really feel necessary.

7/10 it’s cute but I don’t think vulpix needs a pre-evo

Mahou Shoujo Green

This tangela pre-evo is pretty cute, though the body underneath kind of reminds me a bit too much of oddish. I mean maybe it’d be cool to look at the oddish line and the tangela line and see how two related species had off-shoots, but I am not really the biggest fan of baby pokemon as an institution so these will all be a hard sell for me, sorry.

6/10 again, cute but unecessary

Tangrowth as imagined by CalArts

I loved tangela a lot back in the day, and tangrowth is a really interesting pokemon as well…however this one has a little bow and ringlet hair so like, no contest, really.

9/10 this should be an alternate evo option for tangela (perhaps for females?)

i could be your angle or yuor devil

So this one is kinda cool in concept. It’s clearly drawing influence from Japanese kites, and the scary face might be an evolutionary feature designed to scare off predators…that or it’s a flying/ghost or flying/dark type and the angel imagery is the ruse. Either way I fucking love this thing.

10/10 I want this concept revisited

Qwilfish

I like qwilfish a lot! It’s got cool typing, it can perform decently on a rain team, and it’s based on a pufferfish. It’s definitely an underdog in the wider world, but not in my heart.

10/10

The Fish Who Lived

I have…reservations about this evolution though. As cool as it would be to have a qwilfish evolution, this just isn’t doing it for me. It’s kinda cool that it’s shaped like a naval mine, and the Harry Potter scar is pretty cute, but I can get over the dead-eyed stare.

4/10 yeah no I think I’m happy to wait for better evo ideas to come along

Pichu

Pichu’s cute enough I guess but I’ve never liked it as much as pikachu and sure as hell not as much as my boy raichu. However if the baby version was this roly poly cutie, I think I’d be more into it. This style of pre-evo harkens back to the good ol’ days of fat pikachu, and therefore I must doff my cap to it.

8/10 with a bit of polishing I would take this over pichu for sure

Cleffa

Okay, so of the baby pokemon, of which I am generally not fond, cleffa is by far my favorite because of how cute it is. This is also extremely cute. I like picturing the trainer being able to just grab the thing by the little knob on its head if it’s heading toward danger. Plus that tail nub is so cute! I don’t know that I could choose between this version and the actual cleffa.

9/10 would be a 10 but Nate once said “what if cleffa’s hands were its nipples?” and now I can’t unsee it

Igglybuff

Iggly has always reminded me of the Powerpuff Girls, but this beta version is so…delightfully round. God, it’s like hypnotizing how round it is. You wouldn’t have to show this from above to trick someone in a silhouette quiz. The tiny, wide-set eyes are also both piercing and kind of unassuming, which I can’t decide is cute or terrifying.

8/10 think I’d swap this guy in for the existing igglybuff

Quagsire!

I freaking LOVE quagsire. It’s so derpy, I love water/ground types, and just everything about it is cute and makes me want to hug it. The only problem with it in this beta is that there’s no wooper.

10/10 bring wooper with you bro

Natu

I’ve always thought natu was cute and really neat in concept, but I’ve never actually sat down and trained one. This sprite isn’t too different from its final one, but it is missing the color scheme, which is one of the reasons I like it.

6/10 stop being so washed out!

Xatu

Also largely unchanged from its final design, though I do prefer the Silver sprite where its wings are spread. (And I’m sorry about this, but some of the pictures will have bits of other sprites in them, since it was hard cutting these all down in Paint with a trackpad.)

7/10 very unique

Prince(ss) of the sea

Is this a pre-evo of goldeen and seaking, and I can see why it was cut. Who thought either of those would be popular enough to warrant a baby form?

2/10 fuck yeah was a meme guys, it wasn’t sincere

Marill

Marill’s okay. I think it’s fairly cute, and the design they went with using smaller ears and non-clown feet is better imo. Plus this is really minor but it’s bothering me that despite the codename “pikablu” this sprite is pink.

6/10 solid cute pokemon, but the final design is better

Finding Flounder

So I’m a big fan of lanturn because of its digimon-esque eyes and its cool typing. Chinchou I’m…eh on. This cutie though, I could get used to this.

8/10 cute eyes are better than terrifying cross eyes I’m sorry

Clanker’s Cavern

As I just said, I like lanturn a lot. However, this is a shark with an anchor attached. That’s like if you left dhelmise and sharpedo at the day care on the same day an enemy team spilled plutonium all over the yard. It’s so stupid! I love this thing so damn much.

8/10 it’s way too similar to other existing pokemon, but I still kind of want it anyway

Homsar

This thing kind of scares me. The gaping mouth, the wide eyes, and the fact that it clearly would inhabit deep parts of the ocean all make me want to nope out. That said though, I respect it.

6/10 glad they came back to this idea with elektross

Crobat

If you’ve ever battled me in one of our local or online tournaments, you will know that I have a soft spot for crobat. I think golbat’s design is kind of terrible, zubat is simplistic yet kinda cute, and crobat gets to be both cute/cool and also not suck completely in battle (see what I did there?). This design seems mostly unchanged.

8/10 a very good bro

Most likely to drive an airbrushed van

This paras pre-evo looks like it’s inspired by a lovely whimsical creature from Wonderland or Fantasia. I kind of like having a pre-evo to show that at the start the sinister mushrooms allow the baby para to call the shots, biding its time until takes over the entire nervous system as a parasect. Really not feeling the face, though.

5/10 cute, interesting idea, but I don’t know if I want to add more baby pokemon to the mix

Spinarak

I have some mild arachnophobia, but I actually rather like spinarak since it’s so adorable. This version is a little more true to life and not as adorable. Also wtf GameFreak stop giving your arachnids six legs!

5/10 very much prefer the final design but kinda reminds me of the little jumpy bois I catch and release from inside my apartment sometimes

Ariados

Again with the six legs thing. Ugh. Anyway, this beta version of ariados is actually much cuter than the one we ended up getting in the final game. I’m pretty lukewarm on ariados in general (my spider boi of choice is the far superior galvantula), but look at this thing’s face! Look at the face on its body! It’s cute even when it’s trying to be scary!

6/10 why did we not get this adorable boi?!

Skarmory

It’s skarmory. That’s it. A pokemon that I like in theory but have never been super into his design.

5/10 respectably cool but not my cup of tea

Alphonse Elric’s head in chibi form, screaming as his body melts

Here it is. My favorite of all of the beta sprites. This thing is so fucking wonderful in part because I have literally no idea what the hell it’s supposed to be. What is this?! What type is it supposed to be? What is it based on? Is it a pre-evo of an existing mon? Why is its mouth parted in an eternal screech? These questions do not necessarily have answers, and I am a sucker for mystery.

10/10 GameFreak please bring this idea to life just so that I can get closure

Mine! Mine!

So I see what they were going for. It’s a baby form of doduo, with three baby bird heads and a big puff of feathers to make it look like a brood peeking out of a nest. I respect the idea, I do. Too bad it also conjures up images in my head of rat kings and other fused abominations. 

5/10 a good idea that didn’t pan out so well

[Obligatory Undertale Reference]

Sunflora would actually probably be more intimidating if it had an evolution rather than a pre-evo, though. I’m no big fan of sunflora, but I gotta say that this sprite is way better than the one we ended up getting.

6/10 replace existing sunflora with this bullet seed-spewing former skiddo

The Littlest Babaar

I’ve never really been into elephants as a species. Like they’re cool, but they’re pretty middle of the pack for me in terms of my animal preferences. As a result, I always found donphan kind of disappointing. However, I do like phanpy quite a bit, if only for the fact that it’s goddamn adorable. This sprite is a bit plain, but does bring the cuteness.

6/10 prefer the final design but this one ain’t bad at all

Donphan

The Don hasn’t changed much at all as far as I can tell. I’ve never trained one in Gen 2, so is its backsprite really just its trunk? If so, hilarious.

5/10 congrats! you exist!

That’s the statement of the grave mint, Doublemint

I can’t decide if this was intended to be a pre-evo for ghastly or if it’s supposed to be a new ghost type (perhaps later replaced by misdreavus?). Either way it’s an interesting concept, and I can imagine the pokedex entry now: “Born from the souls of fetuses who were eaten in-utero by their siblings. Since they feel they were destined to be twins, they find each other shortly after death and fuse together so that they’ll never be alone again.”

7/10 not the most original design but damn we had a shortage of ghost types back in the day

Girafarig

Girafarig is one of those pokemon that I always wanted to be more competitively viable because I think it has a unique design and could fill a cool niche. I like that the final design has the tail as an evolutionary measure and that there’s a smaller brain in it, just like some real life creatures. That said, we really missed out on getting a face full of evil uniraffe in the backsprite. Man, this is a real tough choice.

7/10 let’s keep girafarig as is and try out this concept on a different mon

Smeargle

This version of him seems a bit more…simian than his final, kinda canine design. Not sure if I dig it. Also, have you noticed that Gen 2 felt obligated to have a ditto/mew type mon that could mimic all the other mons? I feel like this concept gets revisited every so often and GameFreak thinks we’re none the wiser.

5/10 flesh beret just isn’t okay

Coin Kitty

So I know I said I’m against baby pokemon on principle, but the fact that this thing never saw the light of day upsets me so much. It’s so. fucking. CUTE.

10/10 go back in time and replace skitty with this

Betty Boop’s best friend

I get the feeling that this dark type cat got recycled into the purrloin line, but this one is way cooler imo. It references the old adage of “belling the cat” and I think that this pokemon line could have had some really cool sound-based signature moves (sorta similar to the whismur or jangmo-o lines).

9/10 not feeling the bipedal thing, but still a really neat concept I’d like to see

Luna

Again, I love the idea of a pokemon based on a fable. I can see why this particular design didn’t get used, given how simple it is and how closely it resembles umbreon if you just glance at it, but I’d love to see this revisited.

7/10 spruce up the design a bit and get back to me

Politoed’s wild ride

So when I first met politoed I felt he was a bit too…cutesy? Like the rosy cheeks were a bit much. This guy feels a bit more like he belongs in the poliwag line, though he doesn’t look like he’d be as bouncy.

6/10 might replace existing politoed design, might not

Slowking

Though I prefer slowbro as my yadon evo of choice, slowking is pretty awesome in his own right. Not a big fan of the clown ruffle, but honestly it’s kind of a minor setback all things considered. 

7/10 remember how he could randomly talk in the 2nd pokemon movie? That was fucked up.

Unknown

All of these cool, unsued beta designs, and this one gets to stay in?

1/10 don’t talk to me right now, GameFreak

Ledyba

It’s ledyba. One of the bug types I’m actually not really all that into. Pretty sure this is the sprite actually used in Gold.

4/10 fine just not for me

I see you

Ledian’s deal as a superhero is kinda cool, even if I don’t particularly care for the actual design. And I gotta say, it’s preferable to the ever-watching eyes of this thing. Those stars aren’t natural; they’re tattoos for each trainer its killed.

3/10 I feel like I need to go lie down

My Little Shetland Pony

Clearly this is intended to be a ponyta baby form, and while I commend the idea of a foal version (or maybe a Shetland or something?), you may notice that there is very, very little to set this pre-evo apart from ponyta. Like it and and rapidash aren’t exactly the most daring design-wise, so stripping it to the essentials doesn’t really work.

5/10 this is cute as all hell but it has no reason to exist

Espeon

Though I get shit all the time for liking espeon the least out of all the eeveelutions, I do still think the design is neat, and the fact that it draws from the nekomata myth is fascinating. Backsprite is a bit janky in the hips department–yet another unrealistic beauty standard, amirite ladies?

7/10 I personally don’t think there are any bad eeveelutions

Umbreon!

My absolute favorite Gen 2 pokemon! Not many changes between this and the final design, though I will say that this one looks a lot more terrifying–the hole eyes are worse than the red ones somehow. Still, love.

10/10 listen this is my personal rating

Alolan Shellder

This one is so fascinating to me. It’s obviously the chompy boi from slowbro and slowking, which in the pokedex is referred to as a shellder, but perhaps this is a unique evolution that only happens when it disconnects from the slowpoke? I am really upset this wasn’t actually used in the game, because getting to have this thing on the same team as slowpoke, slowbro, and slowking would have been like when Banjo-Tooie introduced the mechanic that let Banjo and Kazooie split up.

10/10 give me, dammit!

Garbage Pail Kid

Again with the baby form for a line that already is known for extremely simple designs. Grimer and muk are literally just piles of slime of differing sizes. (Shut up, Alolan forms weren’t a thing til later.) So basically this baby form is fucking adorable, and I’m loving the thing that could be a nose but I’m choosing to interpret as a mouth with a single tooth. It’s just that…who needs this?

7/10 cute, but not necessary by any stretch of imagination

Are ya feelin’ lucky, punk?

Okay, so this beta is a) way cooler than remoraid ended up being, and b) makes the evolution line make SO MUCH more sense. I can definitely see why it was changed, especially since censor-happy America was a legit market by that point. And I guess the revolver barrel part of the design still persisted in Gen 2, but still.

5/10 booo censorship!

TANK!

Octillary’s name also makes way more sense with the original tank design. I mean I can kinda see why this changed, but like…Digimon was over there with a creature in the anime just literally called Tankmon who shoots shells at elementary schoolers so I don’t fucking know. 

7/10 I like octillary as is, but this is a much more interesting design

WWE fan

Okay so real talk, I am not the biggest fan of tyrogue’s design, but what was even going on here? What’s with the frog hat? Is it a safety helmet? The general hitmonlee body shape combined with the baby boxing gloves for hitmonchan was pretty cool, but this is not something I’d look at and think “Yes, this will grow up to be a humonoid fighting type.”

5/10 it’s…cute? I guess I just don’t see what’s going on here really

shaga;lsdkfhahdgajspd[f

NO. JUST NO. THERE ARE TOO MANY THINGS HAPPENING HERE, TOO MANY LIMBS, TOO MANY EYES, JUST NO. HITMONTOP ENDED UP BEING SILLY BUT AT LEAST IT WASN’T THIS MANGLED BODY HORROR NONSENSE.

0/10 for reminding me of claydol and my own mortality

Pupper

This is going to come as a surprise, but I’m glad they didn’t introduce a baby form of growlithe. The growlithe and arcanine line includes 2 of my top 3 pokemon ever and as cute as this is I don’t think it would fit aesthetically. It looks like a spaniel that doesn’t match the shisa vibe of the growlithe line. That said, I would love to see it as a first form for a different line of perhaps…ground type doggos?

9/10 please give us some floppy ear dog designs, GameFreak! new doggos!

Like, nya

I do think the hoppip line (except for the last evo) is pretty cute, and this one reminds me a bit of an in-training digimon so I’m liking it. That said, I think the designs we got were better.

6/10 cute but like existing hoppip

Gardnyar

Again, prefer Skiploom.

5/10 not a fan of the flower for some reason

Nyancat theme plays in the distance

So I like this better than jumpluff personally, even if the other is probably a more unique design.

5/10 jumpluff’s limbs bother me, but lbr I was never going to train one anyway

New this Easter

Mr. Mime, I think we can all agree, is an unsettling design. That’s its whole appeal, really. Mime Jr. is cute enough I guess, but this is a tiny clown egg that looks like it’s learning to ice skate for the first time!

6/10 get your derpy clown nose out of here, Mime Jr.

Agatha’s apprentice

Smoochum is…well, she is. She’s kinda cute, and I think I prefer the finished design to this one since it looks way too similar to grown up jynx. Plus it raises some uncomfortable questions about it being born with ganguro make-up and hair (in a style that looks like E4 Agatha’s for some reason). This smoochum looks like it’d be taken out to sit alone at the bar in the club while wearing booty shorts that read “Mama’s Lil’ Bitch” across the back.

4/10 this makes me uncomfortable, and the hair is too close to Agatha’s

Which way to the Chao Garden?

Elekid is one of few baby pokemon I like, but hot damn this thing is adorable. It looks like a tiny, wingless bee with a halo.

7/10 can this be recycled as something else?

Bart Simpson

Really what keeps me from fully embracing the magmar line is largely the fact that they all have butts on their heads. These spikes are way more appealing to me, and so I would have loved having this one in the game.

8/10 is it still too late to redesign magby?

Bellossom

Not too many changes from the beta. I am digging the shoujo sparkles going on around her, haha.

6/10 not a big bellossom fan but a well-design pokemon nonetheless

Audrey III

Nope, I don’t like this, no sir. Where would this even go in the evo line? Is it supposed to be an alternative to victreebel? Cause this isn’t much better, guys.

1/10 I will give it one point since it looks like it could cut a rug on the dance floor

Miltank

A good, solid pokemon I’m pretty fond of (once I got over my salt from the Whitney battle). I like her as a female counterpart to tauros. Nothing too astounding but still fun and cute.

8/10 

Fire Seal

I feel like there’s folklore here, but my tired brain isn’t coming up with anything at the moment, sadly. Not a really detailed design but those tend to be more my favorites anyway. Trying to figure out what this was replaced by in the final game but I’m having a tough time figuring it out.

7/10 we have a lot of seals, but this is the only FIRE seal

Delibird

I see we chose the path with more subtlety in the end.

4/10 not really a big fan of delibird

Hanshin Hopeful

Okay, I know I said earlier that the screaming pile of goo was my favorite, but this line is also my favorite out of these beta designs. This one upsets me because this would have been such a great cultural addition! Osaka (represented by Goldinrod City in the games) has a baseball team called the Hanshin Tigers, which everyone in the area is a fervent fan of. Not only is this unbearably cute, it could have been hanging out in like a little baseball stadium area or something in or around Goldinrod. 

10/10 how could you leave this out?!

Nandeyanen!!

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Why did I not get this?! The Akihabara of Osaka is even called “DenDen Town” (Electric Town)!

10/10 we’ve missed our chance and now amends cannot be made

Talk to the wing

Is this supposed to be a farfetch’d evolution?! It doesn’t make a ton of sense aside from the waterfowl connection, but like…how pissed would you be if you were farfetch’d? This is kinda cool. I’m not super into swans or anything, but the masquerade/crime fighter mask is a neat detail.

5/10 I could see this being used interestingly, even if I’d probably not use it

Hitori Kakurenbou

I love this concept. Look at this! I know it was basically recycled for shuppet’s line, but this is so much more hardcore. Now this is a pokemon that can use curse appropriately.

10/10 personally like this one better than shuppet, if I’m being honest

Hsien-ko

This is the most Chinese pokemon since arcanine, oh my god. It’s a panda jiangshi. A panda jiangshi! Imagine it hopping after you adorably, ready to leech life you to death.

9/10 it’s not as cute as the pre-evolution, but still–panda jiangshi!!!

Murkrow

Not a lot of changes going on here either, aside from the more obvious witch’s hat design. Unsure if I like this one better or regular murkrow.

7/10 good flappy friend

*uncomfortable cough*

Blissey’s design is a bit too busy and frilly for my tastes, but it’s certainly a lot more acceptable than this. I get what they were going for: a heart on top of its head to represent healing and whatnot, but it just came out so…so yonic in nature that I have to wonder about the person responsible for this design.

1/10 not entirely awful but good lord

Scisor

Here’s the boi, only this time with eyes on his little crab claws! It’s cute but later got used for hydregion instead, and I dunno, I kind of prefer scisor as is. Still think scyther looks cooler, but a good strudy boi.

6/10 for the puppet shows it could give to entertain all the baby forms on this sprite sheet

Pinsir Noh Pinching

Here’s your fave, anon! You’re right that it seems to have a blank Noh-like mask on its face, as if a huge pinching bug wasn’t terrifying enough for you. That said, I kind of like the really creepy vibe, and poor pinsir got left in the dirt by his rival scyther once Gen 2 hit and gave scyther an evolution but nothing for his clampy comrade.

6/10 we could still get a pinsir evolution, guys

Houndour!

As you might expect of me, the houndour line is a close second to umbreon for Jess’s Favorite Gen 2 Pokemon. It combines two types I love, fire and dark, into this edgy but adorable package–what could I not love about it? This design is actually even better than the final one, because look at that sick-ass spine highlighting the ribs that got left in!

10/10 you cannot half ass edge; that misses the point

Houndoom!

Houndoom, meanwhile, looks pretty much as I remember him in Gold. And there’s nothing wrong with that–his design is fucking amazing. Man, kids, back in the metagame in Gen 2, houndoom was firmly in the top tier. Ah, I remember those days…

10/10 like a shark, houndoom has passed through decades without major tinkering to its evolutionary design

Baby yeti

Long before froslass burst onto the scene, this little bundle of deceptively charming horror could have been the first ice/ghost type. Yes, yes, it’s very adorable upon initial inspection, but once you look a bit deeper, you notice that the pokemon itself is actually black as night, with two piercing Jawa eyes, and the happy fur coat is another creature that’s been skinned and put on like a hoodie. Amazing.

10/10 I’ll take four

Wampa

I started on Star Wars references in the last entry and I gotta keep it going. Anyway, the evolution of tiny, arctic Buffalo Bill up there is even more fearsome, with claws and pupils! It’s even somehow found a way to make its fur covering evolve with it, having it sprout huge fangs (yeah I know, adults probably hunt larger creatures for clothing, but let me have this).

10/10 this so should have been a thing

Pon de Lion

I wonder if perhaps this design was meant to be an alternate form or evolution of porygon, or if this was an entirely different species based on toys (presumably to pad out the number of steel types). It’s an interesting idea, certainly, but I 100% get why this design got scrapped–it was a lawsuit from Mr. Donut waiting to happen.

Ugh

Did you know that horses produce 10 gallons of saliva a day? I now do thanks to Nate quizzing us over vacation last weekend to see if we could tell the difference between real animals and pokemon based on factoids. Now, lickilicky was not a new evolution I embraced with open arms, but man, it could have been so much worse.

2/10 I can’t say there’s no appeal (that mustache is great) but it just looks slimy and no thanks

Steelix

It’s steelix, unchanged from this beta to the final game.

7/10 I just think it’s neat

Sunken Master

I would like kingdra so, so much more if this is what it looked like.

9/10 this is goddamn cool and no one can convince me otherwise

Shadow the Edgedog

I’m not gonna lie, I fucking love this stupid design. It’s an electric dog with super sayain hair. 

10/10 fuck you, I do what I want

Oscar Myer

Do I find this design cute? Yes. Do I personally like it more than entei’s? Yes. Do I think it’s a better design than entei? No. It’s a bit too plain to really give off that legendary feel, but for me? I’d totally take this in a game. Also at least the last two have actually looked like dogs. The Legendary “Dogs” we got were a tiger, a lion/bear hybrid, and whatever the hell suicune is supposed to be.

8/10 I am a simple woman with simple needs

Jen Kira

I see people likening this design to Nina Tucker, but I actually don’t see that. It looks more to me like a special edition My Little Pony toy from the 80s released to promote The Dark Crystal. I dig it, even if it’s my least favorite of the three OG doggos.

8/10 if only some of the pizzazz of this design was afforded to fiery boi up there and we’d be onto something

Rook

This weasel/otter type thing is really cute, and perhaps was a concept idea for what later became sentret? I’d say I would want to see it again, but I kind of get the feeling we already did get the concept revived in the mienfoo line.

6/10 glad we got to see this one again

Ho-oh

Doesn’t seem too different from the sprite in the final game, and still a good design. That said though, I’m noticing that there’s no lugia in these beta sprites. What the fuck is that?!

7/10 got bros over this ho(-oh)

Togepi

This little bugger was introduced so early in the anime that I’m not surprised that its design was firmed up by the time the demo came out. Togepi’s okay I guess, but again I don’t really tend to like baby pokemon and I got kind of over-exposed to it in the anime.

6/10 cute but not a fave

Snubble

SNUB PARTY!! Snubs has the dubious honor of being the only dog pokemon I actively dislike. I like granbull so I can put up with it temporarily to get it to evolve, but this does a lot of things on my Dislike Checklist: aggressively pink, check; clown ruffle, check; appears to be wearing a dress, check.

4/10 not a fan

Boscoe

This early version of aipom looks like Marsupilami if it had been created by the Fleischer brothers. Something about this design just isn’t Right, but I can’t put my finger on it. I think it’s the 1930s American animation style face combined with walking on all fours? Either way it creeps me out.

3/10 though aipom is a very middle-of-the-road pokemon for me, it’s a helluva lot better than this abomination

Leafeon Prime

If you had asked us kid pokemon fans back in the days of Gen I what pokemon we’d most like to see in the future, I imagine “grass type eeveelution” was near the top for many of them. It just made sense–you had the leaf stone just sitting around, not reacting to your eevee, and it was so blatantly conspicuous. I had my own grass type eeveelution design I’d made called “Thorneon”, the design of which I might share at some point, and I was far from the only one.

So yeah, I’d have appreciated this a LOT in Gen 2. I was disappointed it wasn’t introduced in Gen 2. However, promises of a grass type eeveelution in Gen 4 got me to finally pull the trigger on getting a DS to play Diamond and Pearl, and that turned out to be an execellent decision. So maybe it was better that they kept this idea incubating for a bit longer.

10/10 I like leafeon and I also like this design–particularly like the vine bits that look like scars

And so there you have it! All 100 beta sprites reveiwed by yours truly. 

Hope it was worth the wait, anon!

[gabisartdump]

For my birthday, my little sis’ said she would make a digital pic for me! 

Bottom right is what i started planning it out with, and it morphed into what it is now! It was a mashup of lots of my fav characters. Still a WIP, but she’s the best!

See OC description below the cut!

Origin: This guy’s name is Criss, as in Criss-Cross. He’s technically a Ben 10 alien, but forms by pulling the essence/soul of various characters from other universes. Probably was originally a result of some universe-ending problem that was Ben’s fault to begin with (dimensional surge?). They’re pretty stable now.

Looks/Pieces: Main body is Genos’ machine body (OPM). He has Astro’s red boot-feet so he can actually fly (Astro Boy). Hair is a combo of Killua's and Deku’s, plus Edward’s braid (HxH, bnha, FMA). Right eye is Sebastian’s red demon eye; left eye is Rin’s blue one (Black Butler, Blue Exorcist). He’s wearing Danny’s white/red shirt with the wings of freedom and Eren’s jacket (DP, AoT). Those are Deku’s pants and belt. Hard to see are Ladybug’s and Chat’s miraculous ring and earrings (Miraculous Ladybug). He also has Rex’s goggles (Generator Rex). Obviously, Ben’s Omnitrix is on his wrist (Ben 10).

(not pictured) Mach 5 car with Voltron symbol. It acts kind of like a Voltron lion/Bumblebee fusion plus gadgets. This car is actually an overlay of Kevin’s car. The first time Criss waves his hand over Kev’s car and wills it into being, Kevin is horrified.

(not pictured) inside the Miraculous is a Kwami mixture of yin/yang.

Personality: He’s a flirtatious dork with a strong sense of justice and a knack for being a jerk sometimes. He can be REALLY scary when he wants/needs to be (’cause of Sebastian, Killua, and Eren) but it’s rare. He’s impulsive most of the time but is a thorough thinker under pressure. He’s got a bit of MPD because there are literally 13 people inside of his head. They all speak out of the same mouth, so he sounds insane 90% of the time, but they sync together in stressful situations. Criss tends to overthink in stressful situations, so Gwen and Kevin are there to ground him.

*Puns and Snark are a given with this bunch*

Has perks like: KILLING INTENT via Killua and RIGHTEOUS ANGER via Eren. Plus: an extra bonus of SADISM courtesy of Sebastian

Criss is a complete idiot most of the time, but in the middle of battle, he’ll just start talking about theoretical physics and trigonometry. Gwen doesn’t really know how to deal with him. (2)

They’ve got an. odd. collection of knowledge.

“How are we supposed to know what human beings are made of?”

“What, like it’s hard?”

He’s got like, a surprising amount of common sense considering all of the doofuses that make him up. Marinette helps w/that a lot.

Extra Perk: He is the ULTIMATE negotiator.

Adrien knows how to work the business man/fashion scene. The boy has got a walk.

Sebastian is awesome at the intimidation factor, but Deku makes him seem really trustworthy. 

Ben, Rex, and Rin keep him low key and #relatable.

Marinette is the only one of them who has any kind of emotional maturity. She good at reading people too. The only reason any of this works. Keeps them on task for almost everything.

Merging: Criss is a mesh of essences and memories, but all inside are aware of what is going on. When in separated by ‘verses, they have almost an empathic/telepathic link where they can sometimes send pulses/images down the link. Every once in a while, one of them can ‘pull’ on the essence of someone else to help them. However:

In order to fully merge, all of them of must agree, but it’s usually not a big deal; it’s pieces of the characters’ souls that are transferred, not their bodies. It doesn’t really affect what they are doing atm unless it’s super complicated.

Weaknesses:

The Ultimate Klutz, unfortunately. Sorry Mari. Very ADHD and seems to have a pretty severe MPD, for obvious reasons. Kind of off-putting as a person. Extremely draining form when in combat, Ben will sleep for days afterwards.

Powers: 

Obviously, Criss has got Super-strength from multiple people and exceptional sneak ability and balance (most of the time).

Danny: 

 - ectoplasm blast

 - can briefly become intangible but not invisible

“Why are you all so friggin’ dense???”

 - can fly a space ship

“Why are you looking at me? I don’t know how to fly an Earth space shuttle!”

“I do!”

“YOU DO?!”

“How?!?”

“Simulations.”

“...We’re all going to die.”

Rex: 

 - able to transform legs into a bike

 - can talk to machines

Astro: 

 - legs can fly

Ladybug:

 - creation power helps with [inventory] power from the Gamer 

 - Because Criss has both the earring and the ring, he is technically a god. (1)

 - Marinette’s stubbornness overrules all, and she can take control of Criss completely when they’re being really annoying. Sebastian occasionally assists. The two of them have the ability to literally shove everyone back to their home dimension, leaving behind an intimidating, girly version of Ben with red eyes. Ben’s still there but he’s been silenced by fear.

Edward:

 - can do alchemy 

“Wait, we can do magic?”

“No.”

Rin:

- He can COOK! It’s actually really good, and Gwen is pretty tempted to keep him as Criss.

Kevin: “Since when can you cook Ben?”

Criss: “I am a man of many talents.”

Also Criss, immediately after: “They’re my talents, Kitchen Failure.”

- Demon fire

- can perceive/talk to demons

Chat:

- Cataclysm

- The unmatched ability to perch on top of/in lockers, waiting to scare anyone with great relish.

HILARITY to be found in this ‘verse:

a. Someone asks his opinion on something and he literally just freezes from indecisiveness.

b. He’s like half a foot taller than Kevin, and Kevin is pissed.

Kevin thinks Criss is way cooler than Ben tho’ so it’s cool.

c. On one instance, one of the guys has been forced/dared into wearing something hideously embarrassing in his home ‘verse. Cue him being horrified as he’s pulled into Criss in a time of crisis, thinking it will transfer with him. Turns out that their shared body is more made up of their mental images than anything.

       “Why’d you seem so worried when you showed up?”

       *sends mental image*

       *muffled snickers and exclamations and an overall sigh of relief*

d. (1) It’s a thing with him, like his war cry.

    “I have the power of God and anime on my side” - said in the midst of battle

Gwen and Kevin. Need It To Stop.

    “You dare defy your God?!?”

    “Shut up Ben.”

    “It’s Criss!”

Sebastian hates it. Therefore, when ever Criss yells it, he rolls his eyes at himself. It’s a little bit hilarious.

e. A lot of them are SUPER excited at the idea of aliens. Some; not so much.

      “A-Aliens?!”

      “I thought they were EVOs, but clearly they’re from outer space.”

      “Cool!”

      “Eh, I’ve dealt with worse.”

f. Sporadic cursing via Edward. and fake cursing via Danny

      “You frigging fruit loop!”

      “What?”

g. Randomly, one of them will just give a full-body shiver and say “Oh, this is disgusting.”

h. (2) Criss actually has a modicum of common sense, so Kevin is really impressed at first.

      “Wow, it’s almost like you’re a real, rounded person!”

      *Eren screams*

      “Never mind.”

I. They get a lot of awkward questions.

Some Behind-the-times Surfer Dude: “So, like, are you a boy or a girl?”

*silence*

Criss: “I am a GOD!”

Kevin, absolutely done: “SHUT UP”

               .   .   .

Gwen, later: “He’s technically right, you know.”

Kevin, nearly crying: “Yeah, but denial is the only thing keeping me going at this point.”

J. Sometimes, Criss gets SUPER DUPER excited, for various reasons. 

Deku, about other heroes/aliens,

Adrien, about anime,

Sebastian, about cats,

etc.

It’s slightly adorable, slightly disturbing.

K. Criss randomly starts talking about fashion, mostly due to Marinette, and shows surprising prowess

    Gwen, vaguely disturbed: “Um, have you seen your outfit?”

    Criss: “Yes and I hate it.”

L. Criss can and will have conversations/arguments with himself out loud for hours on end. They can be about anything. Literally. Anything.

@tharkflark1

[hour13]

The Tower

A note before reading:

             Back in 2015-2016, a few friends and I were planning to work together on writing a serial story about a team of people known as The Scrap Hounds who roamed a post-apocalyptic wasteland.   We built an amazing world and a few great characters, but unfortunately things fell apart.  Before the collapse, I wrote The Tower, which was originally going to be released in six weekly installments.  

             The Tower is set in the Durante Desert, a land trying to reclaim itself after being the battlefield between two powerful nations, Myrora (MERE-Ore-Uh or Mai-ROAR-Uh, depending on inflection) and Sideah (Sih-day-uh).  The Scrap Hounds are a team of junkers who wander that desert collecting scrap from battlefields, wrecks, and abandoned towns and selling the raw metal to the settlements they come across.  The Scrap Hounds travel around the desert in The Land Whale a large vehicle colloquially known as a trawler.

The Tower

Writing by Tim Carroll

The character of Torva is a creation of Miles Rodgers

The world of the Scrap Hounds was a collaboration, see end of story for credits.

Part 1

             If you’re of the mind to listen, the sounds of the Durante Desert at sunset can form a sort of symphony. The buzz of insects finding their way home to their hives, the distant howls of coyotes, the percussive rattle of scorpions, the crackle of campfires, and, of course, the slow steady rumble of trawlers moving through the desert.

             Tonight, there is one more sound - if you listen closely enough -  a quiet hiss, a gasp of compressed air, as an artist presses on his canister of spray paint.   His canvas- a tower, hundreds of feet tall- his painting, hardly a painting but a story. A tadpole, swimming out of the flames of hell, to become a frog, live its life, and eventually be reincarnated as something greater.

             There were no entrances to the tower, at least none accessible above the shifting sands.  The only reason the Scrap Hounds had bothered to stop at all was because a zeppelin had crashed at the tower’s base nearly a week ago.

             Unfortunately someone else had gotten there first. The zeppelin had already been stripped down, the crew members buried, and everything of value taken.

             Another sound filled the night, a drumbeat, something pounding against the desert sands.   Selak raised an eyebrow, but did not turn around, as the seven-foot-tall armored man approached him from behind.

             “Hello, Torva.” The artist called, shaking a can of green paint.

             “Hello, Selak.” Torva replied, his voice a deep reverberating bass. The armored man tilted his head to the side as he took a long look at the painting. “Reincarnation,” he said, after a short pause.

             “You got it.” Selak smiled.

             “What did a frog do to merit being reincarnated?”

             “Lived a good life as a frog?” Selak offered, leaning against a pile of scrap, “I imagine the bar’s pretty low for them.  Eat flies, lay lots of eggs, respect the natural order.”

             “Then neither of us would merit reincarnation.” Torva observed.

             Selak raised an eyebrow, “You don’t think we’re good people?”

             “We do not respect the natural order.” Torva clarified, “Few humans do.”

             “Maybe that’s a design feature.” Selak replied, filling in the frog’s body, “If humans respected the natural order, we’d have too many people reaching nirvana and nowhere near enough people being reincarnated as insects.”

             “Perhaps,” Torva observed, as he pressed a button on his shoulder blade, igniting a floodlight that illuminated the dark picture.              Selak cleared his throat. “How’s Blue doing?”

             “I do not believe he will suffer any lasting harm.”

             “The scorpion didn’t pierce a lung?”

             “That is correct,” Torva replied, stepping forward, “The greater danger is the poison.”

             “It was just a baby, right?  Painful, not lethal.”

             Torva shook his head, “An adolescent.”

             Selak bit his lip, “You can cure that right?”

             “Our supplies are low. I have done what I can, but we will need to leave at first light to make it to Anodar.  There I will be able to purchase the medicine he needs.”

             “Sounds good.”  

             Torva paused. Selak sighed.

             “But you need me for something?” The artist asked, “Look I know you want to chew me out, but what happened was a complete accident, scorpions shouldn’t have been inside the main hatch, the kid—”

             Torva raised his hand, “I am not here to chastise you.”  He cleared his throat, “There is a cave not far from here.  The recent winds have cleared away dunes that were blocking the entrance.  Initial exploration suggests it may lead to the tower’s entrance.”

             “But tomorrow we’re leaving?”

             “Correct. At first light.” Torva repeated.

             “So if we wanted to know what’s inside this thing, we’d have to do it right now.”

             “Also correct.”

             “And you’re proposing a night mission, into an unknown, possibly trap-filled tower, in the hopes of gathering information about the old world or finding useful and/or pricy artifacts.”

             “For the third time, correct.”

             Selak grabbed his paint supplies from the ground and threw them into a canvas bag over his shoulder. “I’ll get my kit.” He said, “Meet you outside the cave in ten.  I’m in.”

Part 2

             If you’re of the mind to look, there is a beauty to nights in the Durante Desert.  The winds tend to die down, allowing one to appreciate the endless rolling dunes, watched over by a thousand twinkling stars.  But be careful, many have made the mistake of assuming that night’s reduced risk of dehydration and exposure meant a reduced risk of death.  It is night time when the most dangerous of creatures in the Durante Desert hunt – whether they be the giant scorpions out to secure sleeping prey, brigands out to catch their targets unaware, or the mutants lurking beneath the sands, hoping to catch a glimpse of the surface.

             There is beauty to be found in the Durante Desert, but there is far more danger.  

             Selak tried not to get distracted by the scenery as he approached the mouth of the cave.  He had tossed away his painter’s smock in favor of his exploration outfit.  A black flak jacket – spraypainted with shark scales and an open shark mouth on the torso. Inside the dozen or so pockets were every tool he might need for a night outing: chemical flares, lockpicking equipment, and – his personal favorite – the grapple gun.  

             Torva was waiting outside the cave, wearing a different evo-suit than before.  Although few other junkers noticed – most were too scared of the behemoth to pay much attention – the scientist’s suit varied from day to day, with pieces removed and added as Torva saw fit.  

             “I didn’t know you liked the mollusk suit.” Selak said as he approached.  The suit’s back was painted with a design of a golden crustacean shell, the creature’s appendages reaching so they rested upon Torva’s own arms.”

             “It is good for spelunking, and I appreciate the design aesthetic.”  

             “Was that a compliment?” Selak asked.

             “It was.”

             Torva touched his shoulder, and an instant later, a floodlight illuminated the path in front of them.  The two set off into the cave.

             “So I am a mollusk, because I am armored and collect things.” Torva observed, “Do you have an animal for each of us?”

             “I believe that each of you have an animal.”

             “Fair enough, what is Alexa?”

             “A hawk.”

             Torva tilted his head to the side, “Is that not the animal you attributed to your ex?”

             “First off, she’s not my ‘ex.’” Selak corrected, “And, second, there’s no reason that two people can’t have the same animal.”

             “So, I’m a mollusk for my nature.  Alexa is a hawk for hers.  Why are you a shark?”

             “You don’t think it suits me?”

             “You are not a predator.”

             “Have I not told you this story?” Selak asked, “The origin of my necklace?” Selak reached into the neck of his suit and pulled out a two-inch long shark-tooth attached to a piece of scarlet rope.

             “You have not.”

             “Really?” Selak asked, replacing the necklace, “Okay, well, brace yourself.  Way back – maybe a hundred years ago at this point – my family used to live on the south shore.  My great-grandfather was a fisherman and a mechanic, and he was damn fine at both of those jobs from what I hear.  Now, one day my gramps was out fishing when he caught the attention of a massive shark.  The thing, attacked his boat, damn near destroyed it, and nearly killed my great-grandpa.  Luckily, gramps kept a spear lying around and was able to fend off the animal until he made it back to harbor.”

             “I see…” Torva murmured, running his hand along the preternaturally smooth cavern walls.

             “Great-Gramps and the shark fought at least a half-dozen more times over the course of the next two years.  Each conflict was bloodier and more dangerous than the last.  Grandpa lost two of the fingers on his left hand, the shark lost several of its teeth and part of its dorsal fin.  

             Great Grampa dreaded seeing the shark, because he knew deep in his gut that the conflict would only end when one of them died.

             But that all changed one summer night.  There had been a massive storm, the kind where trees are ripped out of the ground and thrown around like toys.  And worse, about five miles off shore, an oil tanker was damaged, and was going to sink unless someone intervened.  

             But it wasn’t just the people that were in danger; everything in the ocean was at risk.  If that tanker capsized, the entire shoreline would be devastated.

             My grandfather was the only one with the expertise to go out and repair the tanker, but every boat on the shoreline had been wrecked.  There was no way they’d be able to get to it in time.

             That’s when the shark rose up out of the water near the shore, and allowed my grandpa onto its back. Together they swam over to the tanker and grandpa was able to repair it in the nick of time. Every person on the boat and every fish in the water was saved.  

             There was no more fighting after that.  My great-grandfather and the shark remained friends, and when it died, grandfather gave the shark a funeral, and took several of its teeth in memory of their friendship.”  Selak reached for his necklace again, “That’s why I wear this.”

             “Do you believe that story?” Torva asked.

             Selak shrugged, “It was told to me by people I trust.”

             Torva coughed, “So you are not decorated in honor of all sharks, but one in particular.”

             “The shark went against its nature, and joined with its enemy for the greater good.  Their rivalry, their language barrier, their species barrier.  None of it mattered.  I think there’s a lesson we can learn from that.”

             “The shark went against its nature…” Torva mused, “Per our earlier conversation, neither your ancestor nor that shark would reach heaven, they would both be reincarnated.”

             “Maybe that’s for the best,” Selak mused, “The world is a better place with animals like that, no matter what form their in.”

             “Or perhaps we were wrong to assume that going against one’s nature was a bad thing.”

             “Or maybe we—” Selak stopped mid-sentence as the two came across a stone door.

             Torva knelt down and rapped his metal knuckles against it.  “Granite,” he muttered, “At least three inches thick.”

             Selak ran his hands over the door, engraved into it, at head height, was an insignia.  “You recognize this?”

             Torva nodded.  “Have you ever heard of Dr. Alarus?”

             “No…” Selak paused, “Wait.  You’ve mentioned him before.”

             “Her.” Torva corrected, “Dr. Olivia Alarus was one of the directors of the Myroran militarized science wing, specializing in genetic research.  She had many projects, but her most infamous involved modifying humans in the hopes of creating the perfect soldier.”

             “How’d that work out?”

             “For the subjects: very poorly.  Many died in her experiments, many more were crippled.  It is said that the few “successes” if you choose to call them that – were used in combat operations, forced to act against their will.”

             “What happened to her?”

             “One night, there was a prison break at her facility.  A few of the mutants broke loose and were able to free their brethren. They captured Dr. Alarus and tortured her to death.”

             Selak shivered. “Do you believe that story?”  

             “It was told to me by people whom I trust.”  

             “So what’s that got to do with this symbol?”

             “It is the insignia of her lab.”

             “Could she be here?”

             “Unlikely.  Even if she had been able to escape from her lab that night, I doubt she would hide in such a noticeable dwelling.  In addition to her former test subjects, there are many who want her dead.  Those in the public who believe she must answer for her crimes and those in the Myroran military who she has shamed.”

             “Fucking Hell.” Selak let out a low whistle, “So what’s the symbol for her lab doing all the way out here.  We’re what two hundred-something miles from the Myroran border?”

             “I do not know.” Torva replied, as he ignited a blow torch “But it is my intention to find out.”

 Part 3

             If you’re of the mind to search, there’s a history to the Durante Desert – a tale of heroism, honor, betrayal, and blood-stained sand.  But be warned, any investigation into writings about the desert will lead a researcher through a labyrinth of bias, misinformation, and pride.  The Myrorans and Sideans both hold each other accountable for the attacks that reduced nearly a third of the land into a wasteland. Even the rare scholars who truly are impartial are confounded by the conflicting reports. Were there two factions in the war, before it was disrupted by the rebels? Or were there as many as five?  Was the rebellion truly motivated by a desire for national sovereignty? Or was it, like so many things, motivated by greed?

             The answers to many of these questions, like so much of the desert itself, are buried deep beneath the sands.  

***

             Selak took a few steps back as Torva knelt down and set to work on the door.  The acetylene torch in the scientist’s hands lit up the cave like a miniature sun, and even a half-dozen feet away, Selak could feel the prickle of perspiration on his forehead.

             “Hey, Torva?” Selak shouted over the tool’s hissing, “How exactly do you intend to melt through a stone door?”

             “Stone does not melt, Selak.”  Torva replied, not looking away from his work, “But locks are not made of stone.”

             “So you’re melting the hinges?” Selak asked, “And then we’ll kick it down. “

             “Precisely.” Torva grunted.

             “So how is this different than a door made out of metal?” Selak asked, “Wouldn’t that be easier to work with?”

             “You, of all people, do not need a lecture on symbolism nor aesthetics.”

             Before Selak could reply, Torva turned off his torch, and slammed his armored shoulder into the door, knocking it off its weakened hinges.  The stone door toppled forward, groaning like a dying beast as it did so, but an instant before it hit the floor, Selak heard a second sound, one that he had heard far too often in his life:  the sound of a bowstring being pulled back.

              “TORVA!” Selak shouted.  Acting on instinct, Selak kicked at the back of the scientist’s knees, knocking him- along with his exosuit – to the ground.  As his partner fell, Selak dove to the earth as well.  The two Scrap Hounds hit the ground simultaneously, as an iron crossbow bolt, crackling with electricity, sailed over their heads.

             “ROLL!” Selak shouted, as he and Torva tumbled to opposite sides of the doorway, where a layer of stone stood between them and their attacker.   Less than a half-second later a second crossbow bolt hit the ground between them, sending a flurry of blue sparks into the air. They had a foot-and a half of room on either side of the door.  Room to breathe, but not much else.

             Torva reached for his periscope while, Selak reached into his jacket pocket for a compact mirror.   The two peered around the corner. There wasn’t a human in sight. Just a large auto-loading crossbow resting on a table, with a tangle of wires attached, some of them leading to a black orb resting beside it.  

             “What the hell?”

             “An automated firing system.” Torva observed, retracting his periscope, “Rare to see one functioning.  The ocular technology they used was known to be problematic.”

             “Fascinating,” Selak hissed, “You got any grenades?”

             “I brought none.” Torva replied, “I was not expecting this kind of resistance.”

             “Looks like we’re gonna have to improvise.” Selak muttered, “Problematic ocular technology, right?  Is that big black thing its eye?”

             “In a manner of speaking.”

             “So let’s blind it.” Selak replied, grabbing a spray paint can and a long thin nozzle from his jacket, and fastening them together.  Carefully, Selak squeezed the trigger, spraying an arc of green paint over the machine’s electronic eye.  

             Torva removed the gauntlet of his exo-suit and waved the empty metal arm in front of the egress. No more bolts came out.  “It is disabled.” Torva replied, reattaching his glove.

              Cautiously, Selak shined his flashlight over the entryway.  “You see any other traps?”

             “Negative.” Torva answered, as he approached the crossbow. “Exquisite work.” He muttered.  

             “I like how ‘exquisite’ for you, doesn’t preclude ‘deadly.”  Selak replied, running his hands along the metal walls.

             “It is good that we did not use grenades.”

             “Why? You want to take it home with us?”

             “No.” Torva answered, “This device was only able to work because it has spent much of the past decade in darkness.  A month out in the desert, or an hour out in a sandstorm, would render it inoperable.”

             “So why was it good that we didn’t use grenades?”

             “These power cells,” Torva said, tapping two yellow and black squares with his metallic forefinger, “are what kept this system functional for so long. They are Myroran military technology.  Exceedingly rare.  If disrupted by an attack of sufficient force, they would create an explosion powerful enough to destroy this room, possibly even this cavern.”

             “And they decided to attach these to their defensive formation without any sort of protection?”

             “Perhaps they anticipated an attack by an opponent who did have grenades.”

             “Oh…”

             “This was most likely an off-site storage facility.”  Torva said, as much to himself as to Selak. “The hidden entrance and defensive machinery would be intended to keep out raiders, as guards for such a far off facility would be unfeasible.”

             “But why here?”

             “Field testing of Alarus’s mutants must have taken place in the area.  This was most likely a facility for holding them and experimenting on them pre and post battle.”

             “Would they still be here?”

             “Unlikely.” Torva replied, “The mutants used for battle were too valuable to be left to rot and too dangerous to leave to their own devices.”

             “So how does this thing differentiate friend from foe?”

             “On its own, this device would be incapable of doing.”  Torva replied pointing to the half-melted mechanism beside the door.   “If a member of the Myroran high command were to have come here, they would have needed a transmitter to ensure their safe entry.”

             “Press a button. Open the stone door.  Disarm the crossbow.”

             “Yes.”  Torva nodded, “Although…”

             “Something the matter?”

             “This crossbow appears to be a recent addition, the security system most likely originally used a firearm.”

             “Which leaves us with three options.” Selak replied, “Option one: The scientists here got bored one day, and decided to see if the motion tracker would work with different long-range weapons.”                “Unlikely.” Torva replied, “The scientists who worked here were corrupt, but not stupid.  Tampering with defensive equipment would have been tantamount to risking their own lives in an attack.”

             “Option two.  The gun was damaged in a raid, and they replaced it with a crossbow for whatever reason.  ”

             “Possible, although there is no reason that they would not have replaced the old weapon with a similar one.”

             “Which brings us to option three.” Selak said, “Which judging from the lack of bullet holes in these walls, I like best.  The gun failed due to mechanical issues over the years.  Eventually someone found the weapon and replaced it because they wanted to use this place as their new hideout.”

             Torva searched the room. “That would appear to be most likely.”

             “You do know what that means?” Selak asked, reaching for his pistol.

             “Yes,��� Torva replied, “It means we may not be alone.”

Part 4

             If you’re of the mind to dig, there’s a world buried beneath Durante.  When the first shots of the war echoed over the sands, many of the desert’s denizens fled.  Some ran off to the southern shores, and began new lives as fishermen.  Others headed north to try their hands tilling the fertile plains.  But there were a few who took a different approach; they fled downward.    

             Lying underneath many towns in Durante is a spiderweb of catacombs. During the war, these undercities had a thousand uses, housing black markets, hiding families, and allowing rebel soldiers to outmaneuver and escape their opponents.  

             Most of the tunnels have been preserved since the war.  Many homeowners enjoy having a secret room beneath their cellar.

             And of course, there are the rumored-few, who liked their subterranean home so much, that they chose to never return to the surface.  

***

             The metal catacombs echoed with each step the pair took further into the lab.  

             “I guess the stealth approach is out of the question.”  Selak shrugged,

             “Stealth has never been my strong suit.”  Torva replied, as he examined the scratch marks on the walls.

             “That’s okay,” Selak replied, “I’ll just be sure to hide behind you if they jump out and shoot at us.”

             “That is hardly shark behavior,” Torva observed, “Would it not make more sense for you to charge ahead, so that I could use your corpse as a shield when you die, as my patron animal would suggest.”

             “Only if you’re comfortable living in my corpse after this is over.”

             “I doubt that I would…” Torva paused in mid-sentence, and knelt down.

             “Something wrong?”

             “This floor is made of iron.” Torva observed, rapping his knuckles against a section of the floor with four inch-long scratches, “And these gouges were not made by a machine.”

             “A wild animal?” Selak suggested.

             “Nothing natural could have done this,” Torva replied as he rose to his feet,

             “Could a mutant do something like this?”

             “If the stories are to be believed, Alarus’s mutants were capable of far stranger things.”

             “There are bullet holes in the wall,” Selak said, “You think there was a battle in this hallway?”

             “That would seem to be the case,” Torva nodded, “We should continue.”

             Less than a minute later, the hallway came to an abrupt end, with a stone staircase leading upwards into the darkness.  

             “It seems we have reached the base of the tower.”

             “Well, let’s get climbing.” Selak replied, walking up the stairs.  

             The two walked up the concrete steps. Selak listened closely after each step, trying to listen for any telltale signs that the stairs might come crashing down beneath him and his partner.  About five steps before the next level, the artist held up a hand, “Hey Torva, you smell something.”

             The scientist shook his head, “I do not. What do you smell?””

             Selak sniffed the air, “Do you know what hibiscus is?”

              “I am familiar with the flower,” Torva responded, “Not with its smell.”

             “It smells like that… and…. and sweat.”

             Torva shrugged, as the two arrived at the first floor.  The pair shined flashlights over the room.

             “Holy lord…” Selak muttered as he stared at his surroundings.  The room was three-stories tall and looked to be made of iron and stone. Stacked three-high in a dozen rows in front of him was over a hundred prison-cells, with catwalks running back and forth between them.  

             Selak shivered. Torva turned to his partner.  “Are you well, Selak?”

             “I’m fine,” Selak said, as he began walking, “Let’s just keep moving, it’s freezing in here.”

             There was not much to see in each cell.  Nothing more than a cot for sleeping and a large bucket for excrement.  

             “Strange…” Torva said, as he peered into the nearest of the cell, “All of these cells appear to have been used, but there are different accommodations for different subjects. Perhaps another experiment?”

             “I doubt it.” Selak replied, testing the lock on the nearest door.  It swung open with a shrill squeak.  

             “Oh?”

             “You’re thinking too much like a scientist, Torva, and not enough like a warden.  These weren’t subjects, they were prisoners.”

             “Why would that-“

             “If you’re in charge of prisoners –” Selak interrupted, running his hands along the bars, “If you keep people in cages for a living, what is the one thing you fear most?”

             “Those people breaking out.”  Torva surmised, kicking a loose screw into the darkness, “Those people putting you in a cage of your own.”

             “An uprising.” Selak concluded.  

             “And the distribution of blankets prevents an uprising?”

             “In order to rebel against a more powerful foe, you need two things: numbers and unity. Historically prisoners have always had the former.  It’s just not practical to have an equal number of guards and prisoners.”

             “So they take away their unity?” Torva asked, ducking under a low-hanging catwalk.

             “That’s where the blankets come in.” Selak explained, “In any group of people, there are gonna be the popular ones.  The ones who everyone likes.  The ones who could inspire a rebellion.”  

             “And you take away their blankets?”

             “No,” Selak replied, “Those are the people you give blankets to.”

             “I do not follow…”

             “Imagine you’re a prisoner, and you see that the man in the cell next to you just got a nice warm blanket.  What’s the first thing you ask?”

             Torva paused, “I would ask “Why?””

             “Exactly. Why are they getting special treatment?  Are they secretly working with the warden? Can I trust them?”

             “Preventing a rebellion with a few square yards of wool.” Torva concluded.

             “And that’s just the start of what guards can do with blankets.  Give them to obedient prisoners on a cold night.  Take them all away as a form of mass punishment if one person starts stirring up trouble…”

             “Where did you learn so much about managing prisoners?”

             “I…” Selak coughed, “I’ve had a few friends who’ve done their time behind bars.”

             “You would think that prisoners would learn that they are being manipulated.”

             “Easier said than done,” Selak replied, “To have an uprising you don’t just need one person to go against their nature, but dozens, maybe even hundreds.”

             “A mental revolution.” Torva agreed, as the two came across a steel door at the far end of the room.  

             “Hey, Torva,” Selak shouted, pointing at the walls – which were lined with steel fans, “Is there any reason they’d need to keep this room cold?”  What’s with all the air conditioners?”

             Torva shook his head, “I have no idea.  Perhaps they kept these rooms freezing to improve their use of blanket tactics.”

             “Is that what we’re calling it now?”

             “What name would you suggest?”

             “Blanket tactics sounds a little too whimsical for my tastes.”  Selak replied, “I’d call it what it is: torture.”

             The pair arrived at a set of double doors on the opposite side of the room.

             “No lock,” Selak observed as he pulled open the door.

             The next room was also three-stories high, and looked to be an infirmary.  Rows of cots lined the walls, with medical devices lying next to them.  Everything else seemed to be made of bare metal: The walls, the floor, the cabinets that covered the far wall.

             “Looks like they expected to have a ton of wounded.”

             Torva shook his head, “These beds are not equipped for emergency care.  And if one truly harbored concerns about the safety of the injured they would not put their infirmary so far from the entrance.  This was where they gave the mutants their treatment.”

             “Treatment?”

             “Most mutants are unstable.  The genome is a tool for gods, not man.  Most mutants required significant medical care in order to survive from battle to battle. Alarus considered it a small price to pay.”

             “This woman keeps sounding better and better.”  Selak mumbled, wrenching open one of the cabinets. “You think you can do anything with this stuff.”

             Torva looked over the contents of the cabinet.  “Antibiotics…” he mused, “Blood thinners… bandages… “Torva grinned, “We’re in luck. Not only should we be able to refill the Whale’s infirmary, but we will have a surplus to sell at the next trading post.”

             “Looks like the hounds will be eating pretty well for the next couple weeks.”

             “Why?  Did you see something that would get you off of cooking duty?”

             “That’s cold, Torva.”

             The scientist laughed, as the two approached the door at the far side of the room.  “Wait a minute…”  Selak stopped dead.

             “What is it?”  

             “Those prison cells, they were made of iron… just like the floor.”

             “Yes,” Torva replied, “Why… oh dear…”

             “If a mutant could tear through the floor, why couldn’t he pry apart his cell?”

             The two scrap hounds exchanged glances.

             “Something is not right.” Torva murmured.

             Selak nodded as he opened the final door. A staff kitchen with a large wooden table in the center.  In front of each of the dozen place settings was a black metallic box.  

             “Audio logs.” Torva said, picking up the closest one in his hands.  “Numbered one through twelve.”

             “Looks like there’s a story here after all.”  Selak said

             “Not only that,” Torva replied, “But someone here wanted the story to be known.”

             “Well then,” Selak replied, leaning against the nearest chair, “How about you and I oblige them.”

Part 5

             If you’re of the mind to care, there is a desperation in the Durante Desert.  The ceasefire brought an end to the war, but it was only the beginning of the true struggle.  For some, every day is a fight to survive.  Farmers hack away at the dirt, trying to raise a profitable crop. Junkers search through piles of wreckage hoping to find something to sell.  Architects throw structures together praying that they’ll survive the next sandstorm.  Some have called life in the Durante desert a constant sprint to stay ahead of the next disaster: A marathon that may never have an end.    

---

             “Status report:  Day 16.”  The recorder on the metal table buzzed, “This is Senior Researcher Richard Parvus.  Yesterday, Dr. Alarus returned to Myrora to continue work on Centurion III. As of today, I am the director of all operations here at Site 14 and all further status reports shall come from me. Our current priority for all personnel is ensuring the total obedience of subjects.  In addition to usual mass humanoid containment protocol, we are using both subliminal and explicit instruction to convince them that they cannot survive in sunlight without regular injections of Pherendalin. We are also using pheromone therapy to aid in containment.  The entirety of the prison is filled with pheromone mixture 21-B-epsilon, which dulls the strength and mental fortitude of our subject population.  

             Field testing will be scheduled when have ensured complete control of our prisoners.  Nothing further to report.”  

             “Disgusting,” Torva hissed, his hands clenched around the steel table.

             “Do you have any idea what happened to this asshole?”

             Torva shook his head, “His name is unfamiliar to me.”

             “Is there any news on what happened to Alarus’s aides after the war?”

             “Only rumors.” Torva replied, “It is impossible to separate fact from fiction.”

             “What do you believe?”

             “I believe that Alarus’s aides were removed from public record and transferred to other projects by the Myroran government.  Myrora would not let valuable assets rot in prison or be taken by the enemy.”

             “Amazing…” Selak mumbled as he reached to press the play button on the next tape. “Wait a sec,” He drew his hands back. “Pheromones… those are released from sweat right?”

             “In many cases, yes.”

             “Could that be why this place smells like sweat?  Artificial pheromones?”

             Torva scratched his chin. Or at least approximated the gesture through his exo-suit. “That would make sense.  It would also explain the excess of ventilation in the prison room.”

             “Just a thought.” Selak shrugged as he pressed play on the second recorder.

             “Status report:  Day 29.” Parvus’s voice droned, “This is Director Richard Parvus.  Another pair of mutants died today.  The fault rests solely with Dr. Bakir, who prescribed insulin at the average level needed for a homo Sapien, not a homo Servus.  I have informed him that a similar mistake will result in him sleeping with the mutants.” Parvus laughed before continuing.

             “We have lost 7 percent of our mutants since our arrival at Site 14.  I have decided to accelerate the schedule for field testing.  Our first operation will not be conducted in ten days, as was previously scheduled, but in three.  We will also be using forty mutants instead of twenty.  That is all.”

             Selak and Torva looked at each other.  A bead of cold sweat rolled down the artist’s forehead.

             “We do not have to continue,” Torva intoned.

             “Someone set this up for us,” Selak gestured at the table, “Maybe not us specifically, but someone wanted their story known.  We have an obligation to listen.”

             “Very well.” Torva replied, pressing play on the next recorder.

             “Status report:  Day 34. This is Director Richard Parvus. All subjects have been returned to their cells.  Confirmed Sidean casualties: 436.  Confirmed subject casualties: 22.  Field testing indicates that our mutants’ lack of ranged weaponry was a hindrance on the battlefield.  However, as-expected, hormonal injections did insure the complete obedience of subjects. Our next testing date is set for a week from now, we will use 60 mutants on the battlefield.  That is all.”

             “Hey Torva, not sure if this is outside of your expertise…” Selak turned to his partner.

             “Yes?”

             “How the hell do you control someone with injections?”

             Torva cleared his throat, “There are certain brain states that can be induced with the right combination of hormones and neuromodulators.  If one had been mutated or conditioned to have one of those brain states associated with complete obedience, then it would be possible to use hormones as a form of mind control.”

             “Injectable obedience…” Selak mused, “And just when I thought these bastards couldn’t sink any lower.”

             “They would most likely have needed some sort of pheromone failsafe to prevent the mutants from taking orders from the enemy.  Possibly there was--”

             “I know I brought it up,” Selak interrupted, with a shiver, “but is it okay if we end this conversation?”

             Torva nodded, and reached for the next audio log.

             “Status report:  Day 42. This is director Richard Parvus.  Our latest field expedition was an overwhelming success.  Confirmed Sidean Casualties:  286. Confirmed Subject casualties:  Merely 8.  Unfortunately, a new problem has arisen.  Some of our subjects appear to be developing a resistance to pherendalin.  This has led to six of our mutants developing severe UV burns on the battlefield.  We will increase dosage, from 20 ccs to 25 for those showing signs of acquired immunity.  

             I have consulted with command and they are interested in a more aggressive pace of field testing. Recent reports have come in of a Sidean Motor Pool, 60 kilometers to our north.  In three days’ time we will deploy 80 mutants to that base.  If the ensuing massacre doesn’t convince command we’re deserving of more funding, nothing will.”

             Torva and Selak looked at each other.

             “Funding?”  Selak hissed, slamming his fist into the table.

             Torva took a step back involuntarily.

             “Winning a war? I get it.”  Selak said, pacing back and forth, “Advancing science? I get it. But just earning funding!? I can’t fucking believe—" Selak’s words were interrupted by the sound of pounding coming from the wall next to him, “What the hell was that?”

             “Machinery?” Torva suggested.

             “Why would it still be running?”  Selak asked.

             “Perhaps they left more equipment than just their defenses running on advanced batteries”

             “Perhaps…” Selak said, “But the war ended—what a decade ago?  Did they just forget about this place?”

             “If these logs are anything to go by, then this seems to be a place well worth forgetting.” Torva tapped the play button on the next recorder.

             “Status Report Day 45.  This is Director Richard Parvus.  We deployed seventy-six of our mutants to the field today, along with twenty-eight of our guards and scientists.  We are currently running on a skeleton crew of scientists.  I remained behind to supervise experimentation of the seven mutants who were deemed unfit for battle.  

             Unfortunately, due to being understaffed, we were unable to stop Subject 44 from escaping before her third injection of Nafaltin.  Subject 44 broke from her restraints and self-terminated by throwing herself into the metal gears of the ventilation machinery. As a result…”  Dr. Parvus paused,” Oh… shit.”  The doctor nearly screamed, his voice notably higher “The vents are down, that means…”  A crash sounded on the recording.  

             A second voice – a man’s - rang out on the recording, “Forget something, Dick?”

             “Stand back!” Parvus shouted,

             “Or what?”  The second voice asked, “Richie, I’ve watched dozens of my brothers and sisters die slowly and painfully at your orders. So for the sake of science, I think it would be best if you experience that—”

             A gun shot rang out on the recording, and then a sound like a body being thrown to the floor.  A second later a crack sounded – the unmistakable sound of a bone breaking- and then another- and then another.   An agonizing minute later the screaming stopped. Followed by the sound of someone standing up.  

             “Is this thing still recording?” The second man said, “Did this guy honestly do daily monologues... How did he end them? There was a few second pause on the recording. “Uh…. That’s all folks.”

             Torva and Selak stared at each other in silence.

             Simultaneously, they reached for the next play button.

             “Status Report,” The voice of the man from the last recording began, “Day uh… yesterday plus one. This is Markov Karazden.”  Markov paused. “Uh… Updates:  Richard Parvus is dead.  Seeing as this is a science report, I would like you to know that, according to the very scientific experiment I conducted yesterday, he lasted nearly a dozen bone breakings before dying.”

             “For those wondering how this miraculous escape occurred, well there’s only one person to thank. Melanie knew that she was dying -- only had a couple of days left.  Yesterday she broke free during testing and jumped into the vents.  She – her body – clogged up the machinery.  Since our blood has the vish- visco-  stickiness of resin, they weren’t able to clean out the machine fast enough.  Without the vents they didn’t have the damn pheromones to keep us contained. Tomorrow night, they’ll be bringing our brothers and sisters back in groups of about a dozen at a time. They’re expecting that this place will still be run by Parvus.  Oh boy, do we have a surprise in store for them.

             The recording clicked and the two scrap hounds stared at each other.

             “An uprising.” Torva not-quite chuckled.  “Blanket tactics appear to have been insufficient after all.”

             “You think this is funny?” Selak asked,

             “Funny? No.”  Torva replied, “But it is fitting.”

             “Fitting?”

             “After all he has done, do you truly believe that Richard Parvus deserved to go gentle into the good night?  That he deserved anything less than what he received?”

             “What he deserved was to learn the error of his ways and try to amend them.” Selak responded. “His mutilated corpse doesn’t serve any purpose?”

             “And how would you ‘show him the error of his ways,’ Torva asked, “Mind-Control Hormones of your own?”

             “Torturing people to death isn’t something we should be cheering on.” Selak replied, “Violence just begets more violence.”

             “Said the ex-mercenary.”

             “Said the human being.” Selak corrected.

             “That is even less of an argument.” Torva responded, “I have spent years watching humans kill each other over minor slights and insults.   This is perhaps the most just killing I have ever witnessed.”

             “Saying that it’s the ‘most just killing’ is like saying that you’ve seen ‘the smartest buzzard’ or ‘the strongest housefly.’  A killing being more just than usual doesn’t suddenly make it justice.”

             “So you would prefer Parvus to be alive?”

             “No,” Selak shook his head, “I just wish things could have been different.”

             “Things are as they are, Selak.” Torva replied, “Now shall we listen to the next recording.”

             “Please.”

             Torva tapped the play button.

             “Status report day 1.”  Markov’s voice rang out, “Yes, we restarted the calendar.  The battle for research facility 14 is over.  Confirmed shithead deaths: 29.  Confirmed mutant deaths: 2.  Damn, I went ahead and spoiled the ending.  So sorry, let me set the scene.

             The scientists and guards were coming back from the Sidean motor pool.  There had been a massacre there, a ton of vehicles and equipment stolen.  They even managed to lift a few crates of champagne for the lab. I don’t know why there was champagne at the motor pool… is champagne something people keep at military bases… whatever… probably not important. Anyway, they figured this was their big break; three ‘victories’ couldn’t be a coincidence.  They figured a grant – you know, money for scientific research - was coming that would make them all filthy rich… oh yeah, and it would help their research, but I think we all know where their priorities were lying.

             Anyway, they had already started drinking the champagne when they walked the first group of mutants back, and you could tell that they were hurrying things along.  Ten guards and scientists escorted the first group of fifteen mutants in.  They’re so busy talking and hi-fiving that they don’t notice how faint the smell of pheromones was.  They only realize what’s going on when we jumped on them from above. We went straight for arteries and vein just like they had taught us.  A few managed to grab their guns, but let’s face it, they designed us too well. Two bullets hit me in the solar plexus and I didn’t even feel it.  

             Maybe twenty minutes later another group of guards came in, this time without any mutants, I could tell they were worried.  One of them had even ripped the big-ass gun off of the security device they have behind the stone door.  If we had had more time, I would have loved to have cleaned up all the blood, but we didn’t have that so the second they walked into the room, they saw the bodies of their comrades, and then we shot them before they could run screaming back.  

             We weighed our options after that.  We could either wait to see if any more of them would walk in, or we could head out to where the rest of our brothers were being kept outside. Alicia had the bright idea to put on the clothing of some of the guards, before we left the building.   It worked out well enough.  We were able to get the jump on the last few scientists, and escort the rest of our brothers inside before sunrise.

             There are 58 of us remaining.  Tomorrow we’re going to make plans for how to free the rest of the prisoners across Myrora.”  

             The recording ended.  

             The pounding in the room next door resumed, louder than before. The two looked at each other.

             Selak turned to his partner, “You sure you’ve never heard of this place?” He shouted over the din.

             “I have not.’ Torva replied, “Though there is another possibility.”

             The pounding stopped.

             Selak shrugged, trying to look more casual than he felt, “Go on.”

             “Earlier I told you the story of Alarus.”  Torva continued.

             “But she wasn’t here. At least not during the uprising.”

             “What if the two stories-- Alarus’s death and the prison break - have become conflated over time?”

             “It’s possible,” Selak scratched his chin, “But then we have to acknowledge another possibility.”

             “Which is?”

             “That Alarus is still out there somewhere.”

             Torva shivered, “I pray, for the world’s sake, that that is not the case.”

             A silence descended, as the two looked at each other.

             “Shall we go on?” Selak asked, gesturing towards the next recording.

             “Please.” Torva replied.  Selak nodded and pushed the button.

             “Day 3. Markov Karazden.  You know the drill.  Yesterday we took it upon ourselves to clean up the bodies.  All of us know damn well what happens to those who hang around rotting corpses. We burned the lot in the incinerator and mopped up the blood.  We then proceeded to celebrate, seeing as the doctors were kind enough to supply us with shitloads of champagne before their passing.”  

             Markov sighed.  “We have a problem though.  Because of my medical training, I’ve been put in charge of inventory.  It doesn’t look good.  In fact, it looks like the reason the reason the doctors were sending us out to fight so much was that they were running low on medical supplies.”

             Markov sighed again. “We don’t have enough to last us the month.

             The other problem is Pherendalin – which is spelled with a P-H, by the way.  Pherendalin is a chemical compound with a unique folding… you know what, I won’t bore you with details. It’s an injection, and we need it if we want to step out of the compound without being cooked alive by the sun.  They gave it to us every time we left the base, and now it looks like it’s losing its effectiveness.  Even if it was at full strength, there’s not nearly enough for us to all leave together.  We’re looking into jury-rigging some exo-suits for some of our more resistant brothers, but those aren’t exactly easy to make.

             Honestly, even without the guards, this place might still be our prison.”

             Selak shook his head… “Goddammit…”

             Torva reached a hand out.  Selak batted it aside.

             “God Fucking Dammit.” Selak hissed, “Why the hell would they do that.  The scientists.   We’re in a fucking desert.  Why would you want troops that burn in the sunlight?

             “It’s like you said earlier, Selak.”  Torva replied, “The one thing all jailers fear is prisoners getting out of their cage. It makes sense to have a last resort—”

             “And their government funded this?  A project that would leave them broken for the rest of their lives?  How can you be okay with this?”

             “I am far from okay with this,” Torva growled and Selak flinched.  “I am merely inured to the horrors.”

             “You…”

             “Believe me, If I had had the chance, I would have been happy to kill Alarus and all her ilk with my own hands.  If the Rebels had ever managed to eke out a victory on Myroran soil, I would have been happy to go there, hammer in hand for the chance of breaking the bodies of anyone who has abused science for an atrocity like this!”

             “Torva…”

             “I understand why the rebels accepted the terms of the ceasefire, but every day there is a part of me that wishes they had not.”

             “You wish that we’d attacked Myrora!?  Do you have any idea-- ”

             “You have travelled with me for less six months, Selak.”  Torva interrupted, “Do not presume to understand my reasons.”

             “I’m sorry,” Selak said, stunned “I--

             “I accept your apology,” Torva interrupted, “Please play the next log.”

             Day 7, Markov said in a defeated tone, “There was… another fight today.  It was worse than yesterday’s.  Christine… dammit… she killed Kaine, bashed his skull against a wall.

             I… We don’t know what to do with her.  Some of us suggested killing her, but I’m not willing to institute capital punishment.  Others suggested locking her in a cell, but unless we use the doctors’ pheromones it’s not gonna keep her in.  

             It wasn’t her fault. Not entirely.  We were designed to be aggressive, and without any sort of balances we’re slipping.  We’re losing our minds.  All of us. Little things are making me angry, and I know I’m not the only one.  If we don’t come up with a plan soon, we’re gonna end up killing each other.

             Some of my brothers are suggesting we take as much pherendalin as we can, and see if we can make it to the Myroran border.  ‘A few massacres’ they say, ‘and they’ll never mess with mutants again.’  I told them absolutely not.  I’m not going to have the blood of children on my hands, Myroran or otherwise.  We need to maintain control. We are more than living weapons”

             The recording clicked off.

             Torva turned to his partner, “I should not have yelled at you.” He said somberly.

             “I understand.” Selak said, “But thank you.”

             Torva tilted his head to the side.  “This may be the ultimate test of our earlier conversation.”

             “How do you figure?”

             “The nature of these people is clear.  To kill without end.  Now, they have to choose, to rise above it or to give in.”

             “I don’t see this as a contest.”

             “How you see it is irrelevant.”  Torva said, “What matters is how it is.”  Torva clicked play on the next recorder.

             “Day 8,” Markov’s voice crackled, it sounded almost as if he were crying, “Christine’s dead… she… she shoved a metal pipe into her heart.  I tried to give her a second chance, told her that we would trust her, but the others… they wouldn’t stop giving her shit about Derek… I mean, I know she killed him but...”

             Markov sniffled, “I guess it doesn’t matter now.  We need to get out of here, there’s no other way.  The others and I have been through our supplies.  Food is no concern of ours, as a result of our “condition.”   Markov spat the word like a curse, “But our medical needs can’t be met forever.  There’s not enough pherendalin for us to leave, but there is enough to stock an away party.  We’re going to draw lots tomorrow for eight of us.  There’s enough Pherendalin to last them each three weeks, more if they’re able to find caves to hide in during the day.”                Selak reached for the next recorder, but Torva grabbed his wrist.

             “What the hell?” Selak asked, jerking his hand free.

             “I’m curious,” Torva asked, “What would you have done with Christine?”

             “The murderer?”

             “Yes, would you have allowed her to go free or would you have done something else.”

             “I’d have killed her,” Selak sighed.

             “Why the sudden change of—“

             “It’s not a change of heart.” Selak replied, “It’s a change of situations.  Us junkers, we’re privileged.  If a fight breaks out between us and a rival team, we don’t have to end it with killing, we do have other options.”  

             “And what if it’s not a fight between the Scrap Hounds and another team.  What if a Scrap Hound kills another Scrap Hound?”

             “We’d have to look at the circumstances.”  Selak said

             “And you’d feel that way if you were the one that were killed.”

             “I don’t know what you guys are going to make of my death,” Selak replied, “But I hope to God it never gets used as a reason to hurt others.”  

             “Fascinating,” Torva replied,

             “Fascinating?” Selak asked, “What am I, a test subject?”

             “Not everything has to be an experiment for me to find it fascinating.”

             “Is that what my life philosophy is to you?” Selak asked, “An idle curiosity?”

             “No.”  Torva replied, “What’s curious to me is that you have managed to survive so many combat encounters with such a philosophy.”

             “Not everyone wants to kill, Tor.” Selak said, “Some people will take any opportunity to avoid killing.  They’ll make a deal with anyone to have one less face staring back at them when they close their eyes.”

             “Is that what you see when you close your eyes?”

             “Just play the damn tape.”

             Torva nodded and pressed the play button on the penultimate recorder.  

             “Day 10.  This morning everyone wrote their name on a scrap of paper and we threw them all into a bucket.  We shook it up and drew eight names. Sylvia, Raith, Colin, Esther, Jacob, Noah, Nina, and Reggie were chosen as our team.  They left this afternoon.   Markov sighed. Some people wanted to draw it out, to throw them a goodbye party.  But let’s face it, if we waited any longer we wouldn’t have been able to send them away.

             Their departure was emotional anyway.  Esther was sobbing when I hugged her goodbye.  I told her that I would see her again, but deep down, I don’t know if that’s true.  

              And then, before they could even walk out the door.  Another fight broke out.  I don’t even know what the cause was, but it was ten times more violent than the one a few days ago.  Three more of us were killed.  Nobody from the away team. Thank God, I don’t think we can draw any more lots.  I don’t know what to do.  I’m not going to force martial law on my own people.  My brothers and sisters…” A sound rang out like Markov punching a wall.  

             “God Fucking DAMNIT! When we sealed the entrance – replaced the turret with that electric crossbow, I thought it would keep us safe.  But it won’t... I don’t think anything will.”  The recorder clicked off.

             “Before we go on,” Torva said, “I thought I should tell you something.”

             “What’s that?”  

             “Selak, you said a few minutes ago that you hoped that no one uses your death as an excuse to kill someone.”

             “Yeah?”  Selak replied, “Is that so weird?”

             “I will not honor that request.”  Torva said, “If someone kills you, I will kill them.  I will break their body with my hammer, slowly and painfully, until they at last exsanguinate.”

             “You wouldn’t honor my last request?”

             “The desires of the dead should not outweigh those of the living.  As such, your desire for me to show mercy will not trump my desire to not live in the same world as your killer.”

             “It’s more than honoring my last request.”

             “How so?”

             “If I die, and you guys go on a roaring rampage of revenge, we’re gonna need someone who keeps the Hounds from becoming a full-on mercenary outfit.  And that someone’s gonna have to be you.”

             “You think I would be a good choice for that?”

             “Good? Hell no,” Selak grinned, “Best… probably.  But don’t worry about it. I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.”

             “No one ever does.” Torva replied, as he pressed down on the final play button.

             “Day 17.”  Markov gasped. “I am leaving this message with claws covered in blood.  I’m pacing through the halls of this prison, praying that I’m not alone, praying that just one of my brothers or sisters survived that fight.  I’ve been dragging bodies to the incinerator, washing away the blood stains as if removing the evidence will make them all come back. That last fight… it wasn’t even intentional. Kylie stepped on Sam’s foot.  That was all it took.  We’re powder kegs.  FUCKING POWDER KEGS!!!!”

             Markov took a few deep breaths “Sorry… I can feel myself slipping.  I’ve burned the last of the bodies, washed away the last bits of my brothers’ blood.  But I’m still searching.  Praying.

             Every time I turn a corner, I see ghosts, my brothers, my sisters, the scientists, the soldiers, my family, my classmates, the people I killed, all of them screaming at me, sobbing, wailing in agony…  

             It’s too much.

             I’m locking myself in the inner sanctum.  I’ll take the books, the supplies, and a healthy dose of sedatives to keep my aggression in check.  Maybe there’s a cure for our condition.   I don’t need to eat; as long as I can inject myself with those hypernutritional supplements I should be able to last for years.  I’ll last for as long as it takes to find the cure for our condition.  I WILL see the sun again.  No matter how long it takes.  

              Before I lock myself in, I’m leaving some recording on the table in the meeting room. This one and ten others.  Mostly mine, but a few of the asshole’s as well. I’ve labeled them 1 through eleven.

             Come to think of it, if you’re hearing this than you probably know all that by now.”  Markov gave a weak laugh, “Well that’s how the recorders got there, whoever you are.

             You know, I suppose I should give you a message, if I’m not there to greet you in person.

             If you’re a member of the away team, coming back after days, weeks, maybe even yeas.  I’m sorry. I’m sorry, that more of us couldn’t survive.  But I want you to know that from the bottom of my heart I am happy that you did.

             If you’re a member of the FUCKING MYRORAN GOVERNMENT.” Markov caught his breath before continuing, “I hope the atrocities committed here have made you realize…” Markov gasped,  “Made you realize how horrific mutating human beings truly is.  I know how important the war is to you, but if you continue down this road, there will be a day of reckoning.  Someday there will be an uprising that you can’t contain.  And when that day comes, there will be hell to pay.  Stick to non-living weapons.”

             Markov sighed,” I suppose there’s a possibility that you’re just a stranger.  A man who wandered into a secret lab, or a Sidean raiding an enemy facility.   I’m sorry, I’m not here to greet you, but I implore you to learn the lesson of what happened here.  

             PEOPLE… AREN’T… WEAPONS.”

             The recorder clicked off and the two Scrap Hounds eyed each other in silence.

             “Lord…” Selak said, after a couple of seconds, “I can’t believe it...”

             “It’s—” Torva’s words were drowned out as the pounding resumed in the next room, louder and more insistent than before.  Selak’s mouth fell open as the realization dawned.

             “Torva?” Selak asked rising to his feet, “Is what he said possible? About not needing food?”

             “Theoretically, yes,” Torva replied, “Although it would not be pleasant.”  Torva paused, “You don’t think…”

             Selak nodded, as he reached for his pistol, “What if that’s not a machine that’s making that noise.”

Part 6

             If you’re of the mind to feel, the Durante Desert is a wounded land.  The war cut a bloody swath across the landscape and the people of Durante, leaving a scar that may never truly heal. For three decades, blood and fire poured over this land; culture, landmarks, and scientific advancements, were all destroyed in a mad quest for victory.

             Hate burns in this land as brightly as the sun above.  For some, the anger is concealed: The shopkeeper whose price raises by the slightest of margins whenever a Myroran enters his store.  For others the anger is a badge, proudly worn: The veteran who sits at the Sidean border, sharpening his knife, and waiting for the day the ceasefire wavers.    

             ***

             The artist and the scientist stood on opposite sides of the steel door that led into the lab’s final room.  Selak held a pistol in one hand and checked the door’s handle with the other. “Unlocked,” Selak half-whispered, “He’s not sealed in there.”  

             Torva nodded as he flicked the switch on his electrode hammer.  An instant later it’s metal tip crackled with electricity that made the hairs on Selak’s arm stand on end.  

             “Okay, Torva,” Selak hissed over the sound of crashing on the opposite side of the door,  “No matter what state he’s in, we should try and talk things out first.  There’s no need to spill any more blood here.”

             “I am ready to negotiate if he is mentally stable.” Torva replied, “Are you ready to fight if he is not?”

             Selak sighed.

             “Are you?” Torva repeated.

             “Yes, Torva,” Selak said, “I am.”

             “Good,” Torva replied, “If I make contact with my hammer, he should be stunned.  It will not last long, but while his muscles are seizing, you will have time to shoot him in the head.  Any other bullet wound will not be able to stop him!  Do not attempt an incapacitating shot!”

             “I know!” Selak grimaced.

             “Good.” Torva answered, “Then let’s go in.”

             Selak nodded and pushed open the door. The second his hand made contact, the metal clanging on the other end stopped.  In silence, the two Scrap Hounds entered the next room.  

             It was a chemical lab, or at least it looked like it had been one once.  The dilapidated shelves clinging to the walls were covered in beakers and broken glass. Textbooks, their covers and pages shredded. Torva eyed a few of the stray pages with interest.  

             “Think we could put off reading till later?” Selak asked, “Maybe a time when we’re not in danger?”

             Torva nodded, as the two walked into an adjoining hallway.  At the far end of the hallway was a man-sized scientific instrument, with three of the batteries they had seen at the entrance attached to it. Selak looked at the machine, and tilted his head to the side.      

             “So what does this—” Selak jumped, back as the machine sprung to life, releasing a flurry of sparks into the air as its metal innards ground together filling the hallway with the pounding drumbeat from before.

             “It is an industrial-grade pestle.” Torva shouted over the din, “It is used for crushing medicines that are stored as minerals, but administered as powders!”

             “So this is what’s been making the pounding?”  Selak shouted back.

             “It would seem so,” Torva replied as the two rounded a corner, “But if that is the case then where is—” Torva stopped midsentence.

             “Well…” Selak cleared his throat…  “Fuck…”

             The man was shirtless, exposing his grey skin under the dull fluorescent lights.  He was propped up against the wall, a recorder in one hand and a pistol in the other.  His shoulder-length greying hair did little to conceal the olive-sized hole in his head, a wound filled with a grey-black mixture of dried blood and congealed brain.

             Torva knelt down beside him.

             “How long has he been like this?”  Selak asked.

             Torva shook his head, “Difficult to say given his mutations.  Several years at a minimum.”

             Selak reached for the recorder in Markov’s hands and rested his finger on the play button.  He glanced at Torva, who nodded solemnly.

             If you’re listening to this… well… If you’re listening to this than I guess you can see for yourself what’s happened.  Markov’s voice was raspy and far weaker than before, as if every word was a challenge for him to force out, I… I found a cure for the Pherendalin problem.  I’ve developed an injection to make my body fold proteins differently.  I’d essentially be able to produce Pherendalin naturally.  I’d need semi-regular injections, but I’d be able to make a lifetime’s supply with just the materials in the lab.

             I’d be cured…  Markov let out a soft sob.

             But I know that I can’t do that.  I know what I’m like unsedated.  My anger isn’t a flame in my chest anymore; it’s a wildfire, uncontrollable and deadly.  I wouldn’t be able to return to polite society.  I wouldn’t be able to return anywhere.

             Markov cleared his throat. I am done fighting the inevitable.  Out of the corner of my eyes, I still see my brothers and sisters, but they are no longer angry.  They are calling me home.

             I realize that these are my last words. Another sob escaped from Markov, “So I guess… I guess I should make it count.”  A weak chuckle.  “I remember back – was it weeks?  Months? Maybe even years ago, when Regis suggested we take what was left of the Pherendalin and go on a killing rampage. Get to the border and kill as many Myrorans as we could before the sun cooked us alive.   Markov let out a wet hacking cough.

             I don’t regret telling him no. And I hate the Myrorans.  I hate them so damn much.  But more than anything else…

             I hate the war.  I hate what it made this broken world into.  An orgy of blood and violence.  

             Whoever you are.  Thank you for listening to my story.  The story of my brothers.  Do not let it die here.  Let it be free.  This war is a cancer on the land.  Do not take part in it.  Bring it to an end.  Markov let out a weak chuckle and flicked off the pistol’s safety.  I guess that’s all I have to say.  It’s time for me to move on to the next life.  I hope that when I get there, I’ll get to see the sun again.  Or, at the very least, I hope that it’s warm.

             The recorder clicked off, Selak and Torva glanced at each other.  

             “What now?” Torva asked.

             “Now,” Selak sighed, “Now, I think it’s time to head home.”

***

             It took the artist and the scientist nearly a dozen trips to get everything they needed from the tower.  Together they sorted through the medical supplies, dragged out the most functional machines and batteries, sorted through the remnants of the textbooks, and pried as many armloads of iron bars as they could from the prison cells.  

             The prison incinerator was broken beyond repair.  So as Torva removed the last of its functional parts, Selak returned to Markov’s body and carried him away from the lab.  The emaciated corpse was uncomfortably light in the artist’s arms as he walked out of the cave into the desert night.

             As Torva sealed away the last of the supplies in the Land Whale’s storage, Selak found a rocky outcropping at the base of the mural he had been painting earlier, where he laid out pieces of dried wood, rubber, and strips of old bandages from the tower.  He laid down Markov’s body, and sprinkled it with gasoline, before igniting a match and pressing it against his dried skin.  It ignited instantly, the crimson flames illuminating the mural like a flare.

             “Did the others approve your appropriation of the Whale’s gasoline?”  Torva asked as he approached from behind.  

             “They can take it out of my next paycheck,” Selak replied, “Markov said he wanted to be warm, I think we should honor that.”

             Torva nodded, and for a moment the two stared in silence at the crackling flames.

             “You have been uncharacteristically quiet since we found him.”  Torva observed.

             “I thought you’d be celebrating.” Selak replied.

             “I like to think that I am not as cold as the metal exo-suit lets on.”

             Selak sighed, “It feels… hollow.”

             “What does?”

             “Tonight.” Selak said, “Everything we learned.  The mutants broke free, they escaped their imprisonment, but still they all died. They never got to be free again. Even Markov, he kept his sanity all those weeks alone, even managed to find the cure.  But then he killed himself for the benefit of people who will never know his sacrifice. ”

             “What about the away party?” Torva suggested,

             “It’s been years, Tor. If they ever came back they would have moved Markov’s body.  They’re either dead or living in a cave somewhere in fear of the sun.”

             Torva rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder.  “There were good things about today.”

             “Such as…?”

             “The batteries we took will be useful to us for years to come.” Torva replied, “The medical supplies will save lives in every town we come across for the next month.  The textbooks we salvaged will make worthy additions to the libraries in Dura.  And that is to say nothing of the value of the scrap we took from the prison cells.”

             Selak shook his head, “Forgive me if I still feel sad.”

             “I would never hold that against you,” Torva replied, as he walked away from the pyre, “After all, it is your nature.”

---

             If you’re of the mind to listen, there is a story in the Durante Desert.  A tale of junkers and jailbirds, love and loss, brotherhood and blood.  A story of a broken world and its denizens.  A story of murder and manipulation, of greed and guilt, of hedonism and heartbreak.  A story of those who gave their lives for causes greater than themselves and those who lost their lives for reasons they couldn’t comprehend.  A story of exploration and exploitation.

             A story as dark as the desert night.

             But as bright as the sunrise that comes after.  

 Notes on the Scrap Hounds

             As said in the opening, the world of the Scrap Hounds was a result of a five-part collaboration.  The five of us (in alphabetical order) were Talia Loeb, Derek Mull, Karlo Panganiban, Miles Rodgers, and myself.  I won’t try and piece together who is responsible for what or whose vision is most clearly represented.

             Each of us created a character for the Scrap Hounds that we would take creative control over.  Torva was designed by Miles Rodgers and Selak by myself.  If you want to read up on how Torva met Selak and some of their early adventurers, let me know and I’ll see about asking Miles to let me put up a few of his stories on here.  

             I have a few extra short stories set in this world that I may put up just for the hell of it, but I should specify that they’re all 2-4 pages, nothing on the scale of The Tower.

             Champagne – the bubbly wine – is referenced several times in the story. I went back and forth as to whether or not to change it since this story takes place in a world where the Champagne region of France never existed.  I eventually decided that it wasn’t a linguistic rabbit hole worth going down. They drink Champagne in Durante. They also speak English.  I offer neither excuse nor apology.

[dipulb3]

LG G1 OLED TV review: Tough to improve on near-perfection

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LG G1 OLED TV review: Tough to improve on near-perfection

For years OLED TVs have delivered the best image quality available with display technology that has remained largely unchanged, but LG promised something even better for 2021. The G1 has an all-new panel not available on any other TV LG sells. The company calls it Evo and says it achieves higher brightness and improved color. My verdict? Yes, it’s slightly better than before but even in a side-by-side comparison, it was difficult to tell the difference.

Like

Best picture quality we’ve ever tested

Slightly brighter than previous models

Beautiful slim design perfect for wall-mounting

Don’t Like

Expensive

Image quality improvements over cheaper OLED TVs are minor

I set up the G1 next to the CX, the best TV I reviewed in 2020, measured both and watched a variety of TV shows, movies and games. The G1 was indeed a bit brighter than the CX but color was nearly identical, as were other aspects of picture quality like video processing and uniformity. Both looked spectacular, however, and in most material I really couldn’t say one looked better than the other.

Now playing: Watch this: LG G1 TV review: Can OLED picture quality get even better?

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The main advantage the G1 has over the CX and pretty much every other OLED TV is its unique design. This TV is made to be wall-mounted — quite literally; it doesn’t even come with a stand! If you want to put it on a piece of furniture, as shown in the images in this review, you’ll have to pay $100 extra for LG’s little side legs. And that would be a shame, because something this thin should really be on a wall.

New for 2021 LG has improved its already best-in-class gaming features by adding picture modes especially for games, as well as a convenient menu that shows all gaming info and adjustments in one place. There’s a new remote and a new smart TV homepage, too. The more affordable C1 shares those features with the G1, however.

At this point, the G1 is the best TV I’ve ever tested — by a nose. I have yet to review its competitor from Sony, the A90J, which also promises a brighter panel, or any other high-end TVs like Samsung’s Neo QLED models, so that title might not last. But for people who don’t have money to burn, the extra picture quality of the G1 probably isn’t worth the extra money over mainstream OLED models like the CX or C1.

Get to know the LG G1 series

It comes in three sizes and costs a bundle: 55-inch ($2,200), 65-inch ($3,000) and 77-inch ($4,500). 

It differs from the less expensive C1 series by offering fewer sizes (the C1 has 48-inch and 82-inch options too), that Evo panel and the slimmer, wall-mount-centric Gallery design. The C1 also lacks a far-field mic for hands-free voice and a Next-Gen TV tuner, both relatively minor extras included on the G1.

OLED display technology is fundamentally different from the LED LCD technology used in the vast majority of today’s TVs, including Samsung and TCL’s QLED models.

The best LCD TVs I’ve reviewed so far scored a 9 in image quality, while OLEDs TVs like the G1 have scored a 10. High-end LCDs (especially with HDR) are brighter than OLEDs, but the picture quality on OLED TVs, including that of this G1, is superior overall.

All OLED TVs are more subject to both temporary and permanent image retention, aka burn-in, than LCD TVs. We at CNET don’t consider burn-in a reason for most people to avoid buying an OLED TV, however. Check out our guide to OLED burn-in for more.

Throw it at the wall

A TV doesn’t get any more minimalist than this. Like many sets these days the G1 is pretty much all picture when seen from the front, but it’s the side view that sets it apart. It measures just 0.8 inches deep and is designed for nearly flush wall-mounting. And as I mentioned at the top, it doesn’t even come with a tabletop stand: If you want a stand mount, it will cost $100 extra.

The G1 comes with a wall-mount bracket inset into a cavity on the back for a practically flush mount.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Here’s what it looks like flush against the wall.

Sarah Tew/CNET

This TV’s design is wasted if you don’t wall-mount it. LG includes a custom bracket in the box and instructions that make it easy to slap up yourself if you’re at all handy — although I’m guessing most people in this price bracket will hire somebody to do the job. Thanks to an inset on the back of the TV the wall mount doesn’t add any extra depth, allowing the G1 to hug the wall and present a very slim profile. Channels are built into the TV’s back to run cables through, for a cleaner installation behind the TV. LG recommends using molding to hide cables on the wall itself. Note: I didn’t mount it myself in my test basement, but I’ve mounted plenty of TVs before and this one seems like it would be a simple job.

LG’s redesigned remote still has lots of buttons and motion control.

Sarah Tew/CNET

LG revamped the remote a bit. It kept my favorite features, namely the scroll wheel and motion-tracking, while slimming it down slightly. The biggest difference is the shortcut keys at the bottom: four for streaming services and two more for the built-in voice assistants, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The former wasn’t yet available on my G1 review sample, but LG says it will be soon. 

The G1 is also equipped with a far-field mic (not available on the C1) so you can simply say the wake word to get the TV to respond, no remote required. It responded just like I’d expect from a smart speaker to my “Alexa” commands.

Based on my experience with the CX, both Google and Alexa can do all the usual assistant stuff, including control smart home devices, answer questions and respond via a voice coming out of the TV’s speakers (yep, both voices). Basics like “What’s the weather?” works as you’d expect, complete with onscreen feedback. The G1 also works with Apple’s AirPlay 2 system, just like many other TVs, allowing my iPhone to share photos and video to the screen from the Photos app and mirror my Mac and phone screens. 

LG’s webOS menu system got a facelift for 2021 — and I’m not a fan. Gone is the small, unobtrusive overlay at the bottom of the screen that lets you keep tabs on what you’re watching. Instead there’s a full-screen homepage, similar to Roku, Fire TV and Android TV. But it has fewer apps and more, well, junk. The top two-thirds of the screen are devoted to the weather, setup tips, a search window and a Trending Now section with a random collection of TV shows and movies. Below that is an app row and, further down, sections devoted to inputs and particular streaming apps. In general it feels like a hodgepodge with too much going on, and most systems are simpler and easier to grasp.

The new homepage takes up the entire screen.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Features galore, state-of-the-art connectivity

LG says its Evo panel, available only on the G1 this year, uses a “new luminous element” for more precise lighting. The construction of the OLED pixel itself is different, with new materials for red and blue and a new green layer, all of which have narrower wavelengths compared to the pixels used on other OLED TVs. 

Key TV features

Display technology OLED LED backlight N/A Resolution 4K HDR compatible HDR10 and Dolby Vision Smart TV Web OS Remote Motion

Otherwise the G1 has the same image quality features as the C1, starting with the new Gen 4 a9 processing chip that adds scene detection and upgraded object enhancement over last year’s version. Both the G1 and C1 also have a 120Hz refresh rate. The entry-level A1 OLEDs, meanwhile, have a more basic a7 processor and 60Hz refresh rate. 

Just like last year, LG’s OLED TVs’ picture settings include a Filmmaker Mode. As promised, it turns off the soap opera effect for film-based content (yay) but so do many other modes in the G1. While plenty accurate, Filmmaker Mode is also relatively dim so I ended up using Cinema and ISF Bright for most critical viewing.

Sarah Tew/CNET

All of LG’s recent OLED models (except the A1) include the latest version of the HDMI standard: 2.1. That means their HDMI ports can handle 4K at 120 frames per second and variable refresh rate (VRR, including NVIDIA G-sync and AMD FreeSync), as well as enhanced audio return channel (eARC) and automatic low latency mode (ALLM, or auto game mode). That means they can take advantage of the latest graphics features available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. New for 2021 is a Game Optimizer mode that puts all of the TVs’ gaming-related settings in one place; see below for details.

The selection of connections is otherwise top-notch, though it no longer supports analog component video. There’s also a dedicated headphone or analog audio output and another for IR blasters, which could ease some installations.

Four HDMI inputs with HDMI 2.1, HDCP 2.2

Three USB 2.0 ports

Optical digital audio output

Analog audio 3.5mm headphone output

RF (antenna) input

RS-232 port (minijack, for service only)

IR blaster port (minijack)

Ethernet (LAN) port

Sarah Tew/CNET

Picture quality comparisons

With its slightly better picture and a couple of other minor improvements the G1 beat the CX, my previous picture quality champ, in side-by-side comparisons. According to my measurements and eyeballs, however, the brightness difference was minor enough to be invisible at times, and just about every other aspect of picture quality was virtually identical. Both TVs looked a tad better than the less expensive Vizio OLED. 

Dim lighting: The G1 performed like a champ with the lights down low — and so did the other two OLED TVs in my comparison. I checked out The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey on standard Blu-ray, and they all appeared more or less uniformly excellent: perfect black levels in the letterbox bars and deep shadows of Bilbo’s living room during the dark Dwarven chant (36:58) and plenty of details in the shadows and clothing of Thorin and company. I couldn’t see any real advantage of the G1 with this kind of theatrical situation in standard (non-HDR) material.

Bright lighting: For a TV billed by LG as an improvement in brightness, the G1’s measurements didn’t really stand out. Yes, it did measure brighter than last year’s CX by 129 nits in the most accurate HDR modes, but that’s not a huge leap and proved tough to discern in most program material. I was also surprised that the C9 I reviewed from 2019 was brighter at maximum light output and basically the same in its accurate mode. As usual, any high-end LCD is much brighter. 

Light output in nits

TV Brightest (SDR) Accurate color (SDR) Brightest (HDR) Accurate color (HDR) TCL 65R635 1,114 792 1,292 1,102 Sony XBR-65X900H 841 673 989 795 Vizio P65Q9-H1 768 629 1,305 1,084 Samsung QN65Q80T 664 503 1,243 672 LG OLED65G1 377 334 769 763 LG OLED65CX 377 290 690 634 LG OLED65C9 (2019) 451 339 851 762

I asked LG’s representatives whether my particular review sample’s brightness was typical of other G1’s and they said it was. As always, different sizes and samples can produce variations.

LG OLEDs of recent vintage have a setting called Peak Brightness that boosts the light output for SDR sources in Cinema and Expert modes. The idea is to increase contrast for brighter viewing environments while maintaining the superior color accuracy of those modes. As with most TVs, the brightest mode for HDR and SDR (Vivid on the G1) is horribly inaccurate. For the accurate color columns above on the G1, I used ISF Expert Bright (Peak Brightness: High) for SDR and Cinema mode for HDR — I recommend G1 owners do the same to get good color in bright rooms.

All recent OLED sets are still plenty bright enough for just about any viewing environment. Yes, they do get quite a bit dimmer than LCDs when showing full-screen white — a hockey game, for example — but even in those situations they’re hardly dim. The G1’s screen preserved black levels and reduced reflections very well.

Color accuracy: LG claims better color with the new Evo panel but according to my measurements and eyeballs, it’s tough to spot any difference. Color on the CX was excellent and the G1 was basically the same. An LG rep told me that the G1’s white color could look more pure, like in a hockey match, but I didn’t see or measure any differences in full-field white/gray (ones that weren’t due to very small differences in grayscale after calibration, at least). 

Watching The Hobbit was mostly the same story, although at times greens, like the grass and hillsides of the Shire (12:24), appeared a bit more greenish and less yellowish on the G1. It was a subtle difference at best, and again I didn’t see or measure any difference in green test patterns, but it could be due to the new panel. Maybe.

Color on the G1 was nonetheless extremely accurate both before and after calibration. The warm tones of Bag End’s interior and Bilbo’s skin were inviting and intimate, and outside his hobbit hole the green of the grass and trees in the golden hour sun, and the red and blue circular doorways on Bagshot Row, looked brilliant and natural. The same could be said for the other OLED TVs, however, and none delivered significantly better color than another.

Video processing: LG goes to great lengths to tout the improvement of its processing every year, but watching various material in the best picture settings the CX and G1 looked largely identical to me. 

Motion handling on the G1 is excellent and a touch better than the CX. Under TruMotion, the new Cinematic Movement setting (the default for Cinema mode) served up 24-frame cadence with a very slight hint of smoothing, improving on last year’s too-smooth Cinema Clear setting while preserving 600 lines of motion resolution. 24p purists who want no smoothing at all will opt for the Off position (the default for Filmmaker mode) and suffer the low motion resolution, while tweakers will appreciate the fine granularity of the User De-Judder mode to dial in the right amount of smoothness; anything four or lower introduced some judder to my eye, conveying a sense of film rather than soap opera effect. De-Blur settings of five or higher deliver the full 600 lines of motion resolution.

User also opens up the OLED Motion Pro menu with three levels of black frame insertion that further improve motion resolution, with 800 lines in Low and a full 1200 in Med and High. The latter introduces flicker, unfortunately, and all three are a bit dimmer than Off, but if blur really bugs you then they’re worth experimenting with. One improvement over last year is that engaging OLED Motion Pro no longer totally crushes shadow detail — it’s a bit worse but still very good. Still, I’d choose to leave it off and sacrifice some motion resolution for maximum light output and shadow detail.

Uniformity: Like all OLEDs I’ve tested the G1 was exemplary in this area, with no significant brightness or color variations across the screen and nearly perfect image quality from off-angle. Compared to the CX I did see a bit more color shift toward magenta in extreme angles with full-field mid-bright and brighter test patterns, but it disappeared when I moved closer to on-axis and never affected the image from a normal viewing angle.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Gaming: The G1’s superb image quality carries over to games, and some of its biggest 2021 features upgrades are gaming-related. The new Game Optimizer is the name of both a picture mode and a full menu system. The latter offers all-new tweaks including four game genre modes: Standard, FPS mode (said to boost shadow detail), RPG mode (to boost contrast) and RTS mode (said to enhance mid-grayscale areas). There are also sliders labeled Black Stabilizer (for adjusting dark areas) and White Stabilizer (for bright areas), as well as the OLED Motion Pro setting described above (LG says it’s particularly useful for games) and the Reduce Blue light setting (said to be easier on the eyes).

I started my test in standard mode with settings at their defaults with Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla at 4K/60Hz and HDR running through my distribution amp so I could compare against the other TVs. Conducting a nighttime raid, the G1 looked most similar to the CX and the Vizio in its standard mode and all three TVs looked excellent, with the G1 delivering a touch better shadow detail already. Switching to FPS upped details even further but washed out the image a bit much for this cinematic game — although I can see it being useful in an actual FPS game if you want to reveal lurking enemies, or a very dark HDR game like Ghost of Tsushima. The RTS setting did boost midtones at the expense of some contrast, while RPG looked quite close to standard, if not as impactful to my eye. In any case it’s cool having these extra adjustment options, and I liked that they each get a dedicated menu.

Next I connected my Xbox Series X directly to the G1 to test advanced video features. VRR worked as expected, significantly reducing tearing in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, and I appreciated the prominent toggle and indicator in the Game Optimizer menu that assured me VRR was engaged. Another slider labeled Fine Tune Dark Areas is available to address the issue of VRR looking too dark. I headed deep into a crypt where VRR was crushing shadows a bit — cranking up that setting, as well as the Black Stabilizer, helped. The flipside is that doing so spoiled black levels and washed out the look of the game, so (as a card-carrying contrast fiend) I’d avoid using it unless it really hurts your gameplay.

I also tried 4K/120Hz on Gears 5 and Star Wars: Squadrons, but the extra smoothness and framerate were difficult to discern in most cases. I appreciate that some games, like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, showed a splash screen indicating that 120fps was active, but most did not. I looked for confirmation in LG’s display menu but, unfortunately, it doesn’t have any. Samsung’s new 2021 Game Bar, on the other hand, does indicate 120fps.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Buried within Game Optimizer is another setting labeled “Reduce input delay (input lag)” with two options, Standard and Boost. The former, which is the default for any game, serves up an excellent lag number similar to past LG OLED models: just 13.1ms for both 1080p and 4K HDR sources. Engaging Boost cuts lag even further, to just under 10ms for both. The catch is that Boost is only available for 60Hz sources, so you can’t use it with 120Hz games or VRR. And no, I don’t think many humans would notice the extra 3ms of lag.

HDR and 4K video: It’s with HDR that you’d expect the G1’s brightness advantage to be most visible, but watching the 4K Blu-ray version of The Hobbit, differences were again very slight. Highlights like the sky behind the elven king as he turns away from Thorin (7:59) or the window in Bilbo’s study (9:06) measured slightly brighter on the G1 than on the CX according to my light meter but without measuring it was tough to see the difference by eye, even when compared side by side. Highlights on the Vizio appeared visibly dimmer than either one, for less HDR pop, but the differences were much narrower between the two LGs.

Color was likewise pretty much equally spectacular on the LGs and a step behind on the Vizio, which looked a bit duller in Bilbo’s garden and the blue sky for example (13:25). Any color improvement afforded by the G1’s new panel tech over the CX was less visible with HDR than with SDR.

I also checked out some of the most revealing HDR content around: the montage of images from the Spears and Munsil 4K HDR benchmark. Again the G1 was superb and better by a slight margin than the CX, but the G1 failed to really distance itself. Most scenes looked very similar between all three, from the crashing waves to the sunsets to the flowers to the objects on black backgrounds, and in most cases when I saw a difference it was the Vizio lagging a bit behind the other two. Spot measurements revealed mildly brighter highlights on the G1 but I couldn’t tell the difference without measuring.

The benchmark also has a 4,000 nit montage to test content mastered at that level and; again, both LGs looked very similar. They outclassed the Vizio, which looked somewhat flat in some scenes in comparison.

Picture settings, HDR notes and charts

CNET is no longer publishing advanced picture settings for any TVs we review. Instead, we’ll give more general recommendations to get the best picture without listing the detailed white balance or color management system (CMS) settings we may have used to calibrate the TV. As always, the settings provided are a guidepost, and if you want the most accurate picture you should get a professional calibration.

Before my calibration for this review the Cinema and preset was the most accurate, excellent in terms of grayscale and gamma with just a slight reddish cast (but still within my error target of delta 3). Since I now target a 2.2 gamma for my reviews dark rooms it was closer than ISF Expert Dark or the new Filmmaker modes, which both target gamma 2.4/BT 1886. ISF Bright was basically identical to Cinema, but I reserved that for brighter rooms.

For my calibration I tweaked the two-point grayscale to remove the red cast, reduced light output to my target of 137 nits and increased brightness two pips to help with shadow detail (while still keeping perfect black levels), but otherwise I left well enough alone. The grayscale and color were already so accurate on my LG-provided review sample that I didn’t need to touch the multipoint system or the color management system.

SDR dark room settings:

Picture menu:

Select Mode: Cinema (User)

Aspect Ratio Settings: 16:9 (Just Scan: On)

Additional Settings menu:

Brightness submenu:

OLED Pixel Brightness: 48

Contrast: 85

Screen Brightness: 52

Auto Dynamic Contrast: Off

Peak Brightness: Off

Gamma (Adjust Brightness): 2.2

Black Level: Auto

Motion Eye Care: Off

Color submenu:

Color Depth: 50

Tint: 0

Color Gamut: Auto Detect

Fine Tune menu: 

Color Upgrade: Off (no other adjustments)

White Balance menu:

Color Temperature: Warm 49 (no other adjustments)

Clarity submenu:

Sharpness: 0

Color: 50

Tint: 0

Super Resolution: Off

Noise Reduction, MPEG Noise Reduction: Off [for low-quality sources, some users may prefer to enable noise reduction]

Smooth gradation: Off [for low-quality sources, some users may prefer to enable]

Cinema Screen: On [may be grayed out depending on source]

TruMotion: Cinematic Movement

Reduce Blue Light: Off

SDR bright room setting [all default except for below]:

Picture Mode Settings: ISF Bright Room

Brightness menu:

OLED light: 100

Peak Brightness: High

HDR Notes: HDR Cinema and Filmmaker mode were very similar, following the electro-optical transfer function — how the TV converts data to a specific brightness — quite closely and better than Cinema Home, but Cinema was about 70 nits brighter so it’s my favorite of the three. Game Optimizer is best for gaming thanks to its processing but quite blue; for the best color accuracy for gaming you should adjust the color temperature control (Color > White Balance > Color temperatureW45).

Color checker was slightly more accurate than on the CX from last year but not great, and HDR Color Checker was worse. As usual with OLED the set covered P3 HDR gamut very well. The G1 measured brighter than the CX or the B9 from 2019, but the C9 from 2019 actually measured brighter in its least accurate and basically the same in its most-accurate settings. Once again the TV automatically detected and engaged the “HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color” setting designed for HDR sources.

TV software/firmware version tested: 3.10.29

Geek box

Test Result Score Black luminance (0%) 0.000 Good Peak white luminance (SDR) 377 Average Avg. gamma (10-100%) 2.18 Good Avg. grayscale error (10-100%) 0.40 Good Dark gray error (30%) 0.42 Good Bright gray error (80%) 0.33 Good Avg. color checker error 0.80 Good Avg. saturation sweeps error 0.79 Good Avg. color error 0.94 Good Red error 2.22 Good Green error 0.64 Good Blue error 0.46 Good Cyan error 0.97 Good Magenta error 0.98 Good Yellow error 0.36 Good 1080p/24 Cadence (IAL) Pass Good Motion resolution (max) 1200 Good Motion resolution (dejudder off) 600 Average Input lag (Game mode) 13.10 Good HDR10 Black luminance (0%) 0.000 Good Peak white luminance (10% win) 769 Average Gamut % UHDA/P3 (CIE 1976) 98.91 Good ColorMatch HDR error 5.25 Poor Avg. color checker error 3.29 Average Input lag (Game mode, 4K HDR) 13.10 Good

LG G1 OLED TV CNET review c… by David Katzmaier

Portrait Displays Calman calibration software was used in this review. 

How We Test TVs

[brisfanfictions]

A Bleeding Rose - Shadley

I'm the third oldest hedgehog in the Rose family. Ramvelle is 19 years old and he is my oldest brother. Quincy is 18 years old and he is my second brother. I've only got 2 brother.

Next in line is me. I'm 17 years old and is the oldest of triplets. Amelia is second and Amy is last. We have similar interests... Okay, not always. But, me and Amelia are always close. Amy will be close, but not as close as Amelia and I. Amanda is our youngest sister and the last in line of the Rose family. She's 14 years old. She has redish-green eyes.

My name is... Ashley Rose. I wear red, black, & lavender. People say I'm emo, but emo people only wear black & red. I keep guns and things hidden in my heels or my black leather jacket. My quills cascade down my back. I rarely cut it as short as Amy's. Keeping my long hair helps other people, besides my family, can tell us apart.

Our eyes are the easiest to tell us apart. My eyes are like a ruby red. Amelia's is icy-blue. Amy's is a jade green.

I own a mansion off Emerald Coast and the Forest of Life. It has 6 master bedrooms and 6 guest bedrooms. It has a library, bowling ally, indoor/outdoor pool and hot tubs, rec room, music room, art room, a gun vault (only Amelia and I know the passcode to), and a 12 car garage.

My baby is a black-and-lavender Chevy Camaro ZL1. Amy's car is a blue-and-pink Toyota Prius C. Amelia's car is a red Ford Focus ST. Ramvelle's car is a gold Mitsubishi Evo XI (11). Quincy's car is a silver Dodge Dart.

I love this black-and-red hedgehog. He is SO cute and is such a badass... But, I don't think he likes me.

Ever since I was 12, he gave me the cold shoulder and swore in my face. He always got angry at me and I never know what I did WRONG! Anyways, I'm going to take a walk. Not on the beach, but in the forest. I always found it soothing for me...

And, no I'm NOT taking my car!

I'm in my favorite sleepwear, a lavender night-gown, before I left my mansion.

I was hiding in a tree in the Forest of Life. Well... Really, I was taking a nap. But, after the moon rose, I woke up.

Right now, I'm watching the night sky. The full moon is showing the clearing that I'm near. The stars are lite up the night sky. It's very beautiful... But, only a certain hedgehog can really turn this night sky even more beautiful.

My mind wanders to the hedgehog who makes me smile... Her name is Ashley Rose. She means EVERYTHING to me. She's always been the love of my life... Although, I'll NEVER admit that to ANYONE.

The reason why I love her is because she reminds me of Maria Robotnik. Who died on the ark to save me.

Ashley always makes these gifts on holidays. Valentines' Day is my FAVORITE holiday though. She always makes teddy bears with hearts on them for me. They always say something different every year.

I was pulled out of my thoughts, when I heard rustling of the bushes under the tree I'm in.

Ugh! I hate bushes, trees, and other nature-y stuff. But, I'm in my favorite clearing. The exact clearing where I have the inspiration to make the gifts for Shadow.

There's a stump in the middle of the clearing with flowers around it.

I move toward the stump and sit down on it. It's February 13th. Tomorrow is Valentines' Day and I can't wait!

I was too busy unloading stuff to notice a rustle in the bushes behind me.

I was watching the whole scene unfold. Eggman appeared in the bushes behind Ashley, but only I can see him.

Eggman is holding a gun in his hand and is aiming at Ashley's head.

Ashley is just humming a sweet, lovely tune. She doesn't see Eggman at all.

I'm just humming a sweet song to myself and making Shadow's Valentines' Day gift.

My song stops short when I hear the click of a gun. I turn around quickly and see Eggman holding a gun to my head. I quickly whip up my hands in a surrendering motion.

"Good-bye, Amy Rose." Eggman says, pulling the trigger.

I'm fuming in anger and frustration. I jump in time to avoid the bullet in my head, ultimately killing myself.

But, he manages to hit a vital organ. I fall down, holding my ruby red gloves to the wound.

"You... Bastard..." I mumble, my breathing shallow and my eyes turning black in anger at him. I fall on my hands and knees, coughing up blood. "I'm... Not... My sister..."

Eggman's eyes widen as he sees the black, cold, ruthless eyes staring at him. "A-Ashley... I had no idea you were out here..." He says, completely shocked.

"I..." I begin, coughing up some blood. "I always... Come out here... Before Valentines' Day... To make Shadow's gift..."

"Well... Tell Amy that this is a warning. That I'll get her soon-" Eggman begins.

"Go to hell..." I mumble. "You'll never... Get her... As long as... My other family members... Will protect her!" I try to yell, but it comes out as a moan.

I jump down, quietly and sneak up behind Eggman. When he opens his mouth again, I pull out my gun. I shoot him in the head.

After Eggman falls on the ground bleeding, I run over to Ashley and lay her head on my chest. "Ashley... I'm here... No one will harm you again..." I caress her face, ignoring the urge to cry.

Ashley smiles softly, her black eyes turning into the lovely, ruby red eyes. That I've come to know. Those eyes hold love, affection, and happiness in them.

She moves her free hand up to my face and caress my cheek. "I've... Always pictured... This moment before I died..." She whispers to me, knowing my keen hearing can pick it up. "But, I imagined..." Her eyes turn to pain and coughs up blood. "That I'll die in my... Sleep... Instead of... Being murdered... By that dumbass.. Motherfucker named Eggman..." She says, the pain turning to anger and back again.

My eyes are feeling heavy. I want to sleep, but yet I don't want to... Does that make sense... It makes sense to my jumbled up mind.

"I'm gonna get you to the hospital." Shadow whispers in my ear. "I'll make sure you live and continue your life." He says, determined.

I smile, knowing my eyes are shining with love and happiness. Not the pain I feel in my body.

Shadow picks me up, bridal style. Then, he takes out his Chaos Emerald and Chaos Controls to the hospital.

The doctors and nurses notice the blood on his hands, on my glove, and my lavender night-gown.

"Can we get her to the operating room!" Shadow basically yells.

I wince in pain and he notices. "I'm sorry..." He whispers in my ear, meaning every word.

I giggle, but I stopped short. Because I had to cough up blood on the white linoleum floors.

Shadow frowns and sits in a chair, setting me in his lap.

I look up at him, frowning as he's deep in thought. Worried lines wrinkling his perfect forehead. "What's wrong?" I ask, wanting to make him smile.

"I could've prevented this..." He mumbles, almost to himself. "It's all my fault..."

I frown and poke his cheek, making him look at me. When he does turn his head my way. I respond, "It's NOT your fault... It's mine... I let my guard down..."

He's getting to respond when a nurse rips, metaphorically, me out of his warm and the safety of his arms. I almost make a noise of disapproval, then remember my bullet wound. I don't make a noise as I'm put on a gurney.

I smile at Shadow as he's up and yelling to the doctors to have a few more moments with me. He notices my smile and says nothing more.

I wave as the double doors close behind me. I shut my eyes and let the sleep consume me.

It's 1:52AM, meaning today is Valentines' Day. I've been pacing for the past 6 hours in the waiting room. Glancing at the double doors whenever a doctor appeared. Hoping Ashley's okay.

During those 6 hours, besides my pacing, I called her family, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. They're all sitting and waiting.

"Shadow..." Amelia whispers. When I turn my head toward her, she smiles and pats the seat next to her. "She'll be okay. I know Ashley puts up one hell of a fight." She says, hoping to make me smile.

But, it doesn't. The only hedgehog I fell for is STILL in the operating room.

I sit down next to Amelia, putting my face in my hands.

After about 10 minutes of sitting, a light blue fox comes out. He looks around and spots the 9 of us sitting/sleeping. He begins walking over.

I stand up and runs over to him. "Is Ashley okay?!" I ask, anxiously. A hopeful glint in my eyes.

The fox looks at the others and they look up at him, he smiles at us. "My name is Dr. Daniel Garcia." Then, his smile disappears. "I've got some good news and some bad news." He says.

The shred of hope that I had for Ashley is gone. "Can we hear the bad news first?" I respond, sadness seeping into my voice.

"Ashley won't make it... The bullet hit her liver and is wedged too deep in. We can't get it out without damaging her system." He says, going all doctor mode on us.

I sigh and look at him. "What's the good news?" I ask.

Dr. Garcia motions for me to follow.

I obey. We walk until we turn a corner out of Ashley's friends' hearing.

Dr. Garcia turned around and his serious expression on his face makes me stand up straight. I didn't know I was slouching till seeing his hard eyes. "Ashley's awake, but she only requests to see you." He says.

I punch down the urge to smile. Only Ashley gets to see my happy smile.

Dr. Garcia nods and leads me through the hospital. Leading me toward Ashley... For my last memories to make with her...

I'm bored... But, I'm waiting patiently for Shadow to appear in my doorway. It's about 25 minutes until I hear the door make a faint 'click' noise. I turn my head toward the noise and smiles.

"Hey, Sh-Shadikku..." I say, using my favorite nickname for him.

He smiles at me and replies, "Hi, Ash." I blush a faint pink, remembering his nickname for me.

My blush disappears as my facial expression becomes a serious one. "Tell everyone... To protect Amy... Including yourself, Shadow..." I say. "Also, tell them that... I'm sorry... I couldn't be there... To watch you get married..." I pull the blanket up to my mouth and coughs.

He took the chance to say something. "Ashley... Don't say that... I could never love anyone as much as I loved you and Maria..." He says, taking a deep breath. "Your my world, Ashley. Only you can make me smile and melt my cold heart. You taught me to love and be happy again..." I could see his eyes glazing over, fighting back his tears. "Ever since you started to grow up, I wanted to be with you. I wanted to have kids with you..." He whispers, tears falling down his face. "I never wanted this to happen to you... NEVER..." He pulls me into a hug and cries in the crook of my neck.

I smile and play with his quills. My own tears are falling down my face. I try to gain his attention again. "Shadow?" I say.

He looks up, anxiously. "What is it, Ashley?" He asks, holding my hands in his soft, big ones.

I move over a little bit, patting the open space. He takes the hint and climbs in next to me.

I lay my head on his fluffy, white chest. "I love you, Shadow..." I say, shutting my eyes. I fight to open my eyes again when I hear him speak.

"I love you, too, Ashley..." He says, playing with my long quills. "I just wish I could've saved you..."

I smile and giggle quietly. "I knew my time was coming, Shadow... You can't ignore fate..." I say, knowing he'd never believe that.

He looks down at me. "I'm sorry I was such an ass to you... I never want this to happen again... Maria died because I couldn't save her... It's like a repeat of history..." He mumbles.

I laugh quietly, then I have a coughing fit. "Just promise me one thing?" I ask.

He lays his head on mine. "Anything..." He whispers.

"Protect my family... Tell Sonic that I've... Always found him like... A brother..." I say. "Also, move on... I want to see you happy... Not hung up on me... Or my death... It wasn't your fault... It was because of... My carelessness..."

He nods. "I promise..." He says.

I smile and close my eyes again. Allowing the sleep to consume me.

I watch her chest move down and her heart stopping. The heart monitor going ballistic. Her lovely hot pink skin, loses its color. It turns to a pale pink. Her body is turning cold as her soul is leaving her body.

I lost rationality and I start shaking her lifeless body. "ASHLEY! WAKE UP! COME BACK! WAKE UP! PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME!" I scream, tears are falling down my face.

I stay like that until nurses, Dr. Garcia, Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Ramvelle, Quincy, Amelia, Amy, and Amanda all rush in.

The Rose family pulls me away from Ashley's body. They whisper soothing words to me.

"Please calm down, Shadow..." Amy says.

"She put up a fight to say her last dying words to you." Amelia responds.

"Don't regret the promises you made, Mr. Shadow." Amanda says, frowning.

I take a deep breath and rip my arms out of Ramvelle's and Quincy's grip. "I'm fine..." I say, looking down at the floor.

Sonic and Tails fold their ears down. Knuckles avoids eye-contact.

No one has seen me this broken.

I walk up to Sonic. "Ashley said she always found you like a brother... Also, she wants all of us to protect Amy from Eggman's clutches..." I say. “But, I killed Eggman after he shot Ashley…”

"Is it Eggman who murdered Ashley?" He asks. I nod in response.

I look at Ashley's siblings. They lived with her for a long time. I ruffle Amanda's hair and hugs them all. Giving fists bumps to Ramvelle and Quincy.

"I'll be at home..." I mumble and Chaos Control. But, really, I only want to be in Ashley's room.

I lay down on her bed, breathing in her lavender and rose floral scent. And I fell asleep there.

In my dreams, Ashley is still alive and hands me my Valentines' Day teddy.

But, later on... I began hating the holidays. Because Ashley wasn't there. To give me the love and attention that she always did...

~37 years later~

It's August 1st, 3274 C.E. Today would've been Ashley's 54th birthday.

Amy got married to Sonic and had 2 kids. Angel and Dash Rose the Hedgehog, both were 10 on September 15th, 3260 C.E.

Amelia died of suicide. She confessed to me, but I rejected her. She can act like Ashley all she wants, but she could never be my Ashley.

Ramvelle married Acwellen the Hedgehog. It turns out that he was gay. They never had kids, but they died happily.

Quincy married a fox named Quorra. It's Italian for heart. They had a baby boy. His name is Odil the Hedge-fox. It's French for rich... Although they're poor... Quorra spends the money on Odil...

Amanda married Blink the Hedgehog. He's a black hedgehog with crimson red hair. I find it weird, but I don't normally pay attention to those things anymore. Anyways, they had twins. Basil and Abigail Rose the Hedgehog. Basil is a black hedgehog with pinkish-purple hair. Abigail is a pink hedgehog with black hair and purple streaks in it. They are born on December 19th, 3272 C.E. They'll be 2 soon...

Without Eggman here, Mobius became quite a peaceful place.

If your curious on if I got married, I didn't. I stayed single for her. I gave up my criminal ways for her.

I'm at Ashley's grave. I put down the pink roses and lavenders on it.

The gravestone is in the shape of a heart and on it reads-

'Rest in Piece

'Here lies Ashley Marie Rose.

'Best friend, sister, and girlfriend.

'August 1st, 3220 C.E.-February 14th, 3237 C.E.

'Favorite Holiday: Valentines' Day'

The only people I never pushed away since Ashley's death was her family. If anything, we became closer.

I always talked to them.

I gave up everything... Just for her...

~Few years later~

Shadow the Hedgehog died on February 13th, 3277 C.E.

He is resting next to Ashley's grave. He's up in Heaven, enjoying the time with Ashley.

Just for her, he turned over a new leaf. To make her feel special and happy, once again.

The End...

[csrracing2guide-blog]

CSR Racing 2 Cheats

CSR Racing 2 Guide

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We can cross in addition and say that you'll lose half of a mile races in case you do not adjust your vehicle mainly for them. Take a look at the final drive as soon as you have this selection, and consider to apply the dyno to look what effect modifications to make to your most velocity. The extremely good social addition to CSR Racing 2 comes within the form of crews. Now not simply that, you'll without a doubt hold on gambling due to the fact, with csr 2 racing, ideal timing is the whole thing. The distinction between winning and dropping can just be approximately your ideal begin and shifts, minus the tuning. Each car is specific so you'd turn out to be spending hours looking to master the ideal start and shift timing. This recreation has the ladder mode and all the ones different modes to hold you gambling. Normally, maximum video games will handiest let you play towards computer systems. Now not this game! While we said you're going to repair the ones classics, we supposed you will see all of them rusty. Yes, you study that right. You will race rusty classic motors. Slowly spend time restoring them until they turn out to be vivid and complicated! One of the highlights of csr 2 racing is its remarkable incredibly targeted degree of pictures. For the ultimate vehicle enthusiasts, this sport will give greater than sufficient justice on your favourite motors! Loving the curves of a bugatti chiron? You obtain it! There is no detail small enough for csr 2 racing and truly, other video games want to preserve up with this! Why does my opponent show a bad begin time? In maximum online races, gamers want to press the start button as quickly as possible after the "march!" Command as a way to successfully begin. On the cease of the race, you will see a evaluation of your performance and that of your opponent: a fantastic time fee means a late start, and a negative fee method an early start. Each of these signs imply a slowdown in race time. With a past due start, gas performance is reduced, and with an early grip, the street may be much less, so as to have an effect on acceleration. A way to tune the auto? To make tuning motors, go to the storage and pick out "tuning". You'll find yourself in the "tuning" window, wherein you can select a vehicle for tuning. Right here you can pump the nitrous gadget, gearbox and tire pressure if the automobile has already been progressed to the level at which you could install tuned parts! Tuning is to be had handiest for elements upgraded to a certain degree. Why can some cars be purchased best for Gold? A way to use first-rate-order? Green use of nitrous oxide may be decisive for prevailing the race. If a nitrous oxide machine is mounted on your automobile, use the "nitrous" button on the left to apply brief-term acceleration. The premiere time to set off the nitrous oxide gadget depends on the traits of the automobile and the precise race. What is a profession race? These races offer an fantastic possibility to get preserve of cash. Defeat your competitors and move up the profession ladder! You will often should compete inside the pleasant motors, so this is a incredible opportunity to check them in commercial enterprise, in addition to a threat to win some cash. The battles of the day are restrained in time, this is, after the stop of the race, you may participate in the subsequent race best after some hours. What is Gold and cash? The higher proper corner of the display presentations how a good deal Gold and cash you have got. To refill the stock, faucet the plus sign and visit the store. Play CSR Racing 2 for your computing device or laptop on mac or pc to maximize your playing time. Whenever you don't have your smartphone or tablet available, or you just need to place your phone down, jump on your computer and continue your sport from there. Ensure that the accounts are related via fb. Race inside the prize cup and within the custom cup in an effort to earn greater bronze keys, silver keys, and Gold keys so that you can get uncommon and uncommon fusion components to feature on your car. Csr 2 helps you to race in opposition to actual players across the world, in actual-time. Select worth combatants from the lobby or accept live challenges - and raise the stakes by placing bets. Group up with buddies to form a crew, and together fight for ranks in the leaderboard and wonderful-different vehicles. Accumulate stunning supercars and display them off for your large warehouse garage - csr 2 functions over 50 officially licensed cars from the sector's most applicable car manufacturers along with ferrari, mclaren, bugatti, lamborghini, pagani and koenigsegg. Right here for real cash you could purchase more money and Gold.greater Gold can also be obtained as follows: what are keys and the way to get them? Keys offer get right of entry to to vehicles, upgraded components and different objects in the imported components store. There are 3 forms of keys: bronze, silver and Gold, every of which offers get right of entry to to one of a kind kinds of prizes. Keys can be received in a few competitions, in a multiplayer game, and additionally offered in a shop. What are grades? Csr  2 allows you to do live races wherein you could battle other players in actual-time. Plus, you don't ought to play alone. You could join or create a team and be the maximum prestigious! What is a vehicle racing game that might not let you upgrade your vehicles, right? It misses the point. Csr 2 racing knows the importance of enhancements so that they determined to take it to the highest stage. This isn't always the type of sport wherein you just click at the upgrades and understand they're there because you're winning. What is it there for? The shield showing 1 "perks" is a bug. Most everyone has that even though there is nothing to claim. Just ignore it - hopefully they'll fix it and make it go away in their next update. I've driven r35 and almost of all upgrades was done. However, yesterday i got new lb gt-r. it looks good. Can i move my all of old gtr's upgradews to new gtr? How can i do, if it is possible? That's certainly what zynga and naturalmotion are hoping for, and it's sure to be part of why people would consider jumping from previous csr games to this - or even from other supercar-collecting games like real racing 3, even if the action is more centered around actual racing. It's totally fine if the game isn't the most complex racing simulator ever because a huge part of the reason that people play games like csr2 is not so much for the gameplay, it's because they enjoy cars. You will often have to compete in the best cars, so this is a great opportunity to test them in business, as well as a chance to win some cash. The battles of the day are limited in time, that is, after the end of the race, you can take part in the next race only after a few hours. What is Gold and cash? The upper right corner of the screen displays how much Gold and cash you have. To replenish the stock, tap the plus sign and go to the store. Why are some players marked as "legend" in the online racing room? Players of the most successful teams of the current season of the team championship are awarded legendary status. This status is awarded depending on the ratio of the number of os of your team and the team in the first place of the leaderboard. Remember that legendary status is difficult to obtain, but easy to lose, so make sure that your team constantly earns ou to keep it! How to remove an inactive team leader from his post? Few free games of any sort have such great graphics, either. We have scanned the file and urls associated with this software program in more than 50 of the world's leading antivirus services; no possible threat has been detected. It means a benign program is wrongfully flagged as malicious due to an overly broad detection signature or algorithm used in an antivirus program. We'd like to highlight that from time to time, we may miss a potentially malicious software program. To continue promising you a malware-free catalog of programs and apps, our team has integrated a report software feature in every catalog page that loops your feedback back to us. It's time to get your hands on the fastest mclaren in-game - 🥁 the mclaren speedtail! This wet and british event consists of 6 high-speed events, each one requires a 2 car lockin and will feature a 50 race ladder. ✍️ one thing for all players to note, though not compulsory prologue events do reward cars and s6 parts required to participate in the main event. A different car will be required for each prologue event. At the 2019 frankfurt motor show automobili, lamborghini unveiled the lamborghini sián! The second one is for live racing. Upgrade the transmission, nos, and tires to stage 5 and leave everything else stock, adding fusion parts, as you can. Try to get the evo as high as possible when tuning it then learn what rpm to launch it, shift it, then start live racing it. Try to achieve around a 50% win ratio; that's your goal. Remember, beating the dyno over and over will get you bumped into faster lobbies. One other thing/, if someone challenges right after they lose, it could be a set-up to a big bet.they are probably trying to sandbag you into a big fat loss. "it achieves this admirably. There's a good level of customisation on offer, and it feels good to see your cars go from workmanlike stragglers to souped-up beasts." For our full review on CSR Racing 2 and many more articles, just click through our CSR Racing 2 articles below. Below, we're listing all the base stats for every car in the game and highlighting which car wins in each category. R stands for rep bonus, and f is for fusion slots. Obviously, every car can be completely changed through upgrades and tuning but these starting numbers give you a good indication of that car's overall abilities. Ranks relate to two aspects. In the game, each team has a certain rank: races of rank 1 are represented by the new fangs team, and races from rank 2 to 5 are represented by other teams. For cars, rank means the restrictions that apply to each car. The vehicle rank is displayed in the upper center of the screen: for example, "p4". This is the rank of the current machine. When you sort out cars in the showroom, pay attention to how the displayed rank changes depending on the selected car. When you play csr 2 online, your game progress is automatically saved on the game servers. Your profile will be linked to game center (ios) or google play games (android) as soon as you log into your account on your device. This means that you can synchronize your game progress on different devices by simply logging into your google play games or game center account on one of them. If you don't log in to game center or google play games, your profile will be tied to the device. Ranks relate to two aspects. In the game, each team has a certain rank: races of rank 1 are represented by the new fangs team, and races from rank 2 to 5 are represented by other teams. For cars, rank means the restrictions that apply to each car. The vehicle rank is displayed in the upper center of the screen: for example, "p4". This is the rank of the current machine. When you sort out cars in the showroom, pay attention to how the displayed rank changes depending on the selected car. There is a new way to progress in CSR Racing 2, and that's together in a racing crew. Competing in events as a member of a crew earns special rewards and bonuses that the lone driver could never hope to achieve, like greater reputation gains or extra winnings per race. Also there are online multiplayer drag races in real-time, which i'd rather not talk about. I am the worst, and seeing the option to challenge others on the game map just makes me sad. All these subtle, small changes add a bit more depth to the game, without abandoning the simplicity and accessibility at the core of the experience. But doing well still requires perfect timing, and particularly with the exciting synchronous multiplayer races, there's something to be said about the depth of the game, or at least how compelling simple game mechanics can be. The clan-like features where you join race crews add to the long-term facets of the game. Getting a cool garage full of rad cars feels good - but maybe there's a bit more of an extrinsic motivation necessary to keep people going. The pr people from csr racing have been emailing me quite a bit today. To be honest it's a game i'm not familiar with, but i figured i'd give it a try. It's a big download. I mean big. It's one of those that needs a wifi connection - some 500mb + once you've got it though, the visuals are great. The intro is beautiful and it honestly feels like an xbox game in places. There's a nice introduction which shows how you to control the car and rev it etc. You will have a triumphant feeling when careful preparation efforts pay off, as well as knowing that you have overcome your opponent by looking at the photo taken at the end of a race that seems to have no chance. CSR Racing 2 is a serial version that adds countless attractive and engaging content. This is really a game that is "too fast and too furious", subtly molded from the skillful hand of the development team. If you are a fan of fiery racetracks or you are looking for an attractive racing game for your phone, this game is my suggestion. If the team leader has not entered the game for several weeks, he can be removed from his post so that another active player takes this place. To do this, follow the instructions below: how do i get into an elite team battle for racing with tempe5t? Make sure you have the latest game update installed, as the elite team battle is only available in version 1.8 or higher. When you defeat shax at rank 5, find a new tempe5t party place on the map and tap it to start the journey. You will often have to compete in the best cars, so this is a great opportunity to test them in business, as well as a chance to win some cash. The battles of the day are limited in time, that is, after the end of the race, you can take part in the next race only after a few hours. What is Gold and cash? The upper right corner of the screen displays how much Gold and cash you have. To replenish the stock, tap the plus sign and go to the store. My guess? On purpose they are testing, which age group, which mobile users, how much have they spent in the past, will they wait, how much in cash/Gold do they have and how willing are they to spend it. Yes, i think of these things, and still can't not buy Gold keys if i just have 2 missing to get the loyalty. Ugh. Was thinking about doing this myself but you got most of it covered. A couple of extra things i noticed personally, and bear in mind this is ios. Same is the case with perfect shifts. So do experiment with your launches and shifts. Hope this will work for you. This..just ran my huracan at 3-4 at start and shifted early red every gear, nitrous at 3rd.. went front 13.19 to 12.42..half second faster with no tuning adjustments just messing with the rpm..this guy knows. I run my huayra launch at max revs. It i do it at perfect, i can only get 9.8but if i do it at the most i can hit 9.6 most fusion parts gives + evo points but some are also - points. After you've won a few races, you'll be able to join a crew, which is a group of real life players that are all on the same team. Joining a crew gives you extra chances to win rare parts and new cars by entering races you couldn't do if you weren't in a crew. Crews can chat with each other in real time, but they can also pin chats so that crew members that aren't online at a specific time will be able to see important information later. If you use it too soon, your wheels will spin making you lose traktion and if you use it too late you might waste some of the nitro potential. Hi, i'm tim and i play csr2 since the release for every day straight and i absolutely love the fine-tuning aspect of the game and the feeling when hours of trying tunes get a little bit better times. It's all about details in life, right? 😏 on the showdown races some in here have found a way to make the care very fast,, can someone share a few tips on how to do this. Custom street racing is a free-to-play drag-racing game by boss alien and naturalmotion games. In the game, the player takes the role of a new racer looking to make a name for him/herself in a deserted city ruled by five racing "crews". A sequel was released on ios and android on june 29, 2016, called CSR Racing 2. Csr racing was first shown on stage at the apple worldwide developers conference (wwdc) on june 11, 2012[1] and was released on the apple app store on june 28. Enter the bugatti la voiture noire event by using the world's most expensive new car, the la voiture noire, available in csr2. Built as a modern reinterpretation of the bugatti type 57sc atlantic and with only one in existence, the la voiture noire, takes exclusivity to a whole new level. Compete in 30 challenging ladder races in your bugatti la voiture noire. The second showdown event requires you to enter with any bugatti chiron to compete and earn a further two bugatti chirons for your collection; the bugatti finale plays out over 70 intense races. As with most games these days, there are in-app purchases as well. But the way CSR Racing 2 is structured, you can pretty much persist without spending even a dime of real cash and still have a lot of fun. If you haven't taken CSR Racing 2 for a spin just yet, we would strongly urge you to. The sheer simplicity of the experience, as well as the attention to detail make this totally worth the time you spend trying to drag race a bugatti veyron. When a reward appears in the inbox, a special icon will inform about it in the upper left corner of the garage screen (in the same place as the daily entry icon). You will have seven days to collect all the rewards, including op-amps and tokens, which can only be obtained for the team cup. Why can't i move recovery machines to the workshop? There are only three places in the garage of the legends workshop. To open the second and third, players must first restore the 250gto and five legends cars, respectively. The leaderboard of the stage is open for players who were supposed to get a wheelbarrow for the stage last season. Although the car is displayed in the dealership, it will be possible to purchase it only two weeks after the end of the season. Why didn't i get the anniversary / seasonal car? It will take some time to send all the anniversary cars. Please wait a couple of hours before contacting player support. To get a jubilee car, you need to be an active member of a team that has scored at least 20,000,000 team prs (reputation points). Built-in parts make it possible to get the most out of the improvements, as well as bring evo points, which give an even greater bonus to the characteristics. Built-in parts are divided into three types: unusual (green), rare (blue) and epic (purple). Built-in parts can be embedded in special cells. To do this, go to the "improvements" window and select a part with a free cell for embedding. Tap a cell to embed, select an embedded part, and insert it into the cell. You will see that they are divided into several parts: what are dark horses? Dark horses are a completely new way to get a time-limited bonus for your team! For example, a dark horse can give you a 10% team op bonus for 4 hours. Remember that each member of the team will get access to this bonus while it is active. Dark horses are activated using tokens that can be won in event competitions. Once you have contributed enough tokens for the dark horse, any team member can activate it using the "activate" button.

[thisiswhatwereupagainst]

New Evolution Brotherhood fic ideas

I was thinking about the end of the X-Men Evolution series, and how we see that in the future, Magneto will join the X-Men and become teacher to the New Mutants, while the Brotherhood will go on to work for SHIELD. And so I was thinking, if I were to write a continuation of of Evolution, who will be the new bad guys? SHIELD can be antagonistic to the X-Men at times, but that's not the same thing as bad guys. I personally would like to see lots of baddy groups from the comic books who never made it to canon Evo, such as the Marauders and the Hellfire Club, and I already have ideas about the Evolution version of the Hellions to combat the New Mutants, but how about a new Brotherhood too, who would be foes to both the X-Men and SHIELD? I think that would only make sense. The canon Evolution Brotherhood was just vulnerable teenagers being manipulated by an adult into making trouble for her own ends, not real bad guys with any real goals. This new Brotherhood, however, would be more like the Brotherhood of comics and movies, a true radical organization formed in response to rising anti-mutant sentiment as mutants became more and more well-known. Since mutants only became public knowledge during the course of Evolution, things are probably gonna get worse for them before they get better. The new Brotherhood would be adults lashing back against that with real terrorist activity. (I do love the “teen rivals” idea of the original Brotherhood though, so that would continue with the aforementioned Evolution version of the Hellions led by, of course, an Evolution version of Emma Frost. So they would be the successors to the Evolution Brotherhood in spirit---a pack of mostly good kids misled by an awesome evil lady---while this new one would be more in name.)

For this new Brotherhood, I would pick characters from the comics canon who were involved with the 616 Brotherhood and 616 Acolytes (not to be confused with the canon Evo Acolytes which were nothing like them and had none of the same members), as well as similar groups like the Mutant Liberation Front (which was not run by Magneto in the comics, but had likeminded goals, as evident by the name) So here is my lineup idea and my reasons for picking each mutant. Click their names for links to info pages about them elsewhere on the web!

Obviously, with Magneto gone, a leader is needed. I guess Mystique is the obvious choice, but for a NEW series, I think I would like to have a new Big Bad, and have Mystique doing new things. I think she could be a sort of chaotic neutral type, aiding the “bad guys” and “good guys” alike---helping out the Acolytes and their ilk because she agrees with their cause, but also the X-Men in an attempt to win over Kurt and Rogue, as well as anyone else who suits her ends. No, for the actual leader of the new Brotherhood, I would pick (no surprise from me, I guess) Fabian Cortez. At my RP blog for Fabian and the other first-gen Acolytes from the comics ( @thecorteztwins ) I play an Evolution verse where Fabian and his sister Anne Marie are teenagers, not terrorists, and pretty ordinary nice kids. I find it fun to play a Lighter and Softer version of them both. But if I were going to actually write for the show (or just a fanfic) I think that an adult Fabian Cortez, one who is very like his 616 counterpart, would be an excellent choice for a villain and as a successor to Magneto's role---I mean, he did that for awhile in the comics anyway, and he actually did it pretty damn well until Magneto came back and he got demoted to abused comic relief. Also, Evolution Magneto was pretty despicable and far less sympathetic and complex than 616 Magneto, so the fact that Fabian himself isn't at all sympathetic wouldn't be an issue as far as “is this character a good replacement for that one in terms of story role” goes. I also think Fabian would be a bit more fun to work with, because he's not just very competent and clever and threatening as a villain, he's also frequently hilarious and embarrassing as a person, as you know from my other posts about him. So he can be more fleshed-out, versus just the scary bad guy in the background. No offense to Magneto fans here, I just don't think Evo did Magneto justice, at least to my memory.

Fabian being there means that Anne Marie Cortez is a shoe-in for the team psychic. Since they'll be fighting a team that has both Xavier and Jean Grey (until the Phoenix, as also shown in the future of Evolution) I think it's only fair that the Brotherhood has somebody to balance that, though her powers being much more limited compared those of Xavier (she is not a true telepath, but an empath who can also control minds) keeps her from making their side TOO overpowered in that regard (since if the bad guys have their own Xavier, that would just end every fight before it starts) Her enhanced agility and skill with a firearm (as shown in the comics) can make for dramatic physical fights as well, so she's not just standing there with her fingers on her forehead. It would also be neat to work in my theory that Empath of the Hellions is cousin to the Cortez twins. Also to work out if this version of Anne Marie would want to bring Magneto back to the cause, or just sees him as a traitor and is loyal only to the ideas of the Brotherhood, not its founder. That would apply for everyone I guess, but it would especially apply for how I write her because the way I write her 616 version on my RP blog is someone who is fanatically devoted to Magneto as a religious character, so it would be a radically different Anne Marie for me to write in many ways if I changed that. Which would also be interesting. Delgado or Frenzy or Kamal El Alaoui as the team strongman. I have a bias for Delgado since I write him on my RP blog, and Kamal has a cool extra ability too (takes on qualities of whatever he touches, such as steel or concrete) but I really like Frenzy there. Female strongman characters with visible muscle are a bit unusual, and I don't think we've had a super-strong woman in Evolution. Plus, since she joined the X-Men in 616, she could be this season's Rogue...but honestly, I kinda like her better as classic 80s-90s total asshole Frenzy. I guess there could be a way to make it both, though, and redemption stories are more powerful when the person was REALLY bad first.

Astra or Amelia Voght for team teleporter. Amelia was the teleporter for the 616 Acolytes, while Astra was with the 616 Brotherhood. I prefer Amelia for her interactions with Fabian, but Astra would be great for Magneto stories, either pursuing her personal grudge against him (like she had in the comics) or trying to recruit him back into his old life, or both. And if she's trying to recruit him, how does Fabian, the current leader, feel about that? Does he support it, because having Magneto will attract more followers? Or is he opposed to it because he doesn't want his position threatened? I think I'd have to go with Astra for these reasons, and I think Amelia's interactions with Fabian could easily be duplicated with Astra (Fabian is a creep, then pays for it, basically) Just as Astra has a past with Magneto in the comics, Amelia has a past with Xavier, so she could be used for doing an Xavier-centric story, but I think we already know Evolution Xavier is pretty terrible, and I think Astra going after Magneto could make for more actual conflict, so again, I'd pick Astra. But I would still like having Amelia for reasons other than her powers and her connection to Charles, mainly that she was the one who questioned the Acolytes cruelty and, unlike Scanner or Neophyte (see below) she wasn’t meek about it. I think someone like that is important for the team dynamic---you’ve got the sadistic assholes (Carmella, Kleinstocks, Senyaka, etc), the people who aren’t that evil but also don’t care (Phantazia) or are oblivious (Milan), the ones who feel it’s wrong but are too afraid to do anything (the aforementioned Neophyte and Scanner types) and then Amelia, the sole one saying anything. In order not to make her redundant next to Astra, I would tweak her powers, so she no longer teleports via mist, but has powers like those of Mist Mistress, making her a composite character (like how Evolution Avalanche is a combination of comics Avalanche and Rictor) Mist Mistress never got a civilian name in the comics, and Amelia never got a codename, so it works out pretty well! Neophyte or Scanner as the one who, as previously mentioned, is not as cruel as the majority of their comrades but lacks the spine to take a stand. Their powers are different, but their abilities are visually similar and both non-combative, and both of them are meek types who aren't cruel like many of their teammates but too scared and submissive and unsure to actually question Fabian, who they obey and who bullies them behind closed doors like the big dickwad he is. So I would pick just one to use so it's not redundant. Scanner is an adult woman and Neophyte is a teenage boy, so Fabian's interactions with Scanner would have an extra gross edge that they wouldn't with Neophyte. I'm not sure if that's a reason to pick her or a reason NOT to, to be honest. On the one hand, it helps show how awful he is. On the other, this is a kid's show. I think I'll go with Neophyte. Fabian can still be gross to other women in the series, but then they can kick his ass. Plus Neophyte being a teen gives him a chance to connect more with the New Mutants (I picture most of the X-Men being young adults at this point, but the New Mutants will still be teens) I'm not sure about Chrome. He would either make the Brotherhood too over-powered in a fight (since he can turn everyone to metal)...or he would do the reverse and be an enormous liability, since he's making a bunch of metal WHEN THEY ARE FIGHTING MAGNETO. I guess if I picked Delgado for the team strong guy, I would use Chrome too, since it would feel weird to use ¾ of the first-gen Acolytes team from the comics (Fabian, Anne Marie, Chrome, Delgado) and then not use one of them. But since I picked Frenzy for the team muscle, I'll leave out Chrome. Phantazia aka Eileen Harsaw. She was a member of the 616 Brotherhood who could manipulate electromagnetic energy. I'm fond of her, as there aren't that many Brotherhood women as there are men, and she's a little-known 90s character which is my favorite kind. So I would like to include her in this new Evolution Brotherhood. I'm also going for a team that's well-balanced, so since they've thus far got Fabian's support powers, Anne Marie's psychic powers, Frenzy's physical strength, Astra's teleporting, and Neophyte's transport/spy powers, Eileen's offensive elemental/energy powers are a good addition. It will also be neat to see her face off against Magneto, as their abilities seem similar. Not much is known about her, but Blob refers to her as “Ms. PhD” in the comics, suggesting she may be very intelligent or well-educated, and I think something could be done with that as well. The Kleinstock brothers, from the 616 Acolytes, have a mix of physical and energy powers.  Like their comics counterparts, they're just there to be evil sadistic assholes, in order to contrast people like Neophyte. In the comics, they were originally triplets (Eric, Harlan, and Sven) but Eric was killed in their first mission, so most of their appearances have just been Harlan and Sven. I would like to keep it to just Sven and Harlan as well, to avoid confusion with Magneto due to him sharing a first name with Eric, but I also would like for Eric to still be acknowledged. I'm just not sure how to do it. Evolution was dark, but people rarely actually died, so I don't think having Eric die is the way to go. Then again, maybe the Eric/Erik thing won't be such a big deal, since Erik will usually be referred to as Magneto anyway? Francisco Milan was the Acolytes technopath in the comics, and he was precious. Just a precious nerd. I need this precious nerd in the new Evolution Brotherhood. He's not a jerk like Frenzy or the Kleinstocks, but he's not really...aware enough to question things like Neophyte. It's not that he's stupid or callous, he's just totally focused on his own little cyber-world and I don't think he notices much else, he just hacks what they tell him. As in the comics, he probably gets picked on for his non-combative powers by the other Acolytes, and is super happy whenever he gets used to, and very ashamed when he feels he's failed (read: performed less than perfection) LOVE THIS PRECIOUS NERD, EVERYONE! Unus the Untouchable (Angelo Unuscione) or his daughter Carmella Unuscione. Unus was a member of the 616 Brotherhood, Carmella of the 616 Acolytes. I really like the friendship that Unus and the Blob had in the comics, so I'd like to reproduce that in Evolution. But since Unus is old enough to have an adult daughter, he'd be a lot older than Blob is in this universe, since Blob would be a young adult himself when working with SHIELD. Plus, if Blob is with SHIELD, he and Unus would be enemies if Unus is with the Brotherhood. So what I'm thinking is that Angelo “Unus” Unuscione is an older guy who works with SHIELD and was one of their first mutant members, and he becomes a father figure to Fred. Fred's never shown to have any parents in the picture, so this seems like a much-needed thing for him. As for Unus, his daughter being with the Brotherhood provides obvious drama and conflict and an interesting background story, and it also shows why he'd want to mentor a substitute child figure. So, Unus for SHIELD, and Carmella for the Brotherhood. Carmella, by the way, is very much one of the BAD Acolytes in the comics, so she's a horrible person in the Evolution Brotherhood too. Maybe Barnacle as the team Toad Like Frenzy, Carmella, and the Kleinstocks, Senyaka is one of the horrible bloodthirsty human-hating members of the 616 Acolytes, and his Evolution counterpart will fill that role in the Evolution Brotherhood. I don’t particuliarly care for Senyaka but he’s an iconic member of the Acolytes, so including him feels right, and we could use a really scary guy like him.

Lorelei was a Savage Land native in the comics that Magneto artificially mutated, and she served in his Brotherhood. For her Evolution version though, I think she'll just have a cameo. I can't see her as full-time member at all; in the comics, she was totally naive of what was going on and just did what Magneto told her without thought or opposition since he was her creator. She doesn't seem like she at all understands the human/mutant conflict or why she's supposed to fight the X-Men. Her Evolution counterpart would of course not be from the Savage Land, but an ordinary young mutant woman, and therefore know about these things, but I still see her as someone with a personality that just has no interest in participating in this fight. So my idea is that when Anne Marie is captured or otherwise can't fight, they find and recruit her, by payment or force, to fill in for her on a single mission. Anne Marie can control everyone's mind, while Lorelei can only control men, but that's a decent enough replacement in a pinch. Also, Lorelei's name as a Savage Land girl was Lani Ubana, and since the name Lani is a real-world Hawaiin name, her Evolution version would be Native Hawaiian. She'd have a corresponding Hawaiian surname has well, since I doubt Ubana has a coincidentally real-world counterpart as well. Also, Fabian is probably a huge creep to her so she should use her powers to make him slap himself. Solarr or Strobe or Crucible (commonly known as Burner but I prefer his Crucible codename) or Firefist, purely for the sake of a literal firefight with Pyro (which should also happen with Magma of the New Mutants) I like Solarr but I would pick Crucible because in the 1990s animated series, he and Gambit are established to be old friends, and it would be neat to use that in the Evolution universe, especially since the original cartoon was never really clear on how they met or the details of the relationship, so that could be established in this story. Also Solarr is a tall ginger so I think that could get confusing with Fabian around; I’d still keep him as a baddy in the Evo sequel, just not part of this group (Solarr was always about money and never mutant rights anyway) Alternatively for our fire/heat user guy, we could use Reignfire as the team’s evil counterpart to Sunspot. Rather than being Sunspot’s sort-of clone like in the comics, he could be his older brother or cousin instead, to make things less confusing and convoluted. I might also throw in Feral as a cruel counterpart to the Hellion’s Catseye (since she’s included in my Evo Hellions who would also be in this Evolution sequel I shall never write) and/or Mellencamp just to have an overtly monstrous-looking team member. Also maybe work in my Evo ideas for Polaris not so much as a Brotherhood member but more like a target, like maybe part of Astra’s schemes to get at Magneto. Though that would naturally have to involve my ideas for an Evolution version of Zala Dane too!

[necrotext]

Post-post AC update

“Geewiz Necro on twitter you said you’d talk about stuff like two weeks ago or more! All you’ve done in the mean time is post that weird dragon picture...” “Damn right I did, and I’ve been busy with things like that dragon picture; and I think it’s great, not weird thank you! I also did theeeeeseee... and I had a lot of.... things... to do...“

  The short of it was I had an amazing time, thank you. But if you’re really in it for the news buckle up and click the break and enjoy. Because I’m gonna ramble which is probably my most fostered skill outside of art and I’m happy about it damn’it. (Hey it’s me from half way through this write up, get popcorn, this shits a little.... uh... l o n g. But you should still read it because past-past me worked really hard and you’ll hurt her feelings if you don’t read it.)

  So here I am like LEGIT a month post AC. My vacation actually started back on the 25th of June. But that’s not entirely relevant other than that’s when my pre- and post- furry fandom friend Serpentsaurus flew into Ohio from halfway across the country to visit for two weeks. Specifically to attend AnthroCon with me but also just to vacation, because why not. Which, for the two of us, would be our first furry convention specifically. Having attended GenCon twice myself I wasn’t really rattled too much by the idea; already having gotten used to the head spinning number of people and the floating feeling the sheer number tended to cause me (I’m bad in large groups :B).   We spend a few days chilling out, learn Arms can’t make it this year (sad face duuude) and setup to hit-up that grinding drive. Leaving the morning of the 29th at 8-ish A.M to drive on the highway for about 4 to 5 hours. All things considered pretty spectacular for a road trip to a con. Not many get that kind of ease of arrival so I definitely cherish it lol. Also makes me partly wonder why I never went before? But it’s probably for the best because I needed some time. Regardless we arrive without incident, pay up the rest of our hotel fee for the furthest possible major hotel we could’ve POSSIBLY BEEN BECAUSE WE DIDN’T REGISTER SOON ENOUGH AND YOU ALL SHOULD PRE-REG FURTHER THAN A MONTH OUT BECAUSE THAT WAS A MISTAKE. And put our stuff in the room, which was certainly okay. And then... it was time...   So stumbling and fumbling we use our maps we had gotten to look up where the heck to go and wind up using our stupid phones to GPS walk our stupid butts to the convention center. Because neither of us had ever been in Pittsburgh and of course we’re lost. We got lost finding the parking for the hotel. As if I’d/We’d make it blind to the damn event. We get there and I come to an astounding realization. Its HOT, like... really really hot outside. Like so hot that walking that 15 minute distance drenched my shirt hot. Which would become a major problem AND IS WHY YOU STAY NEXT TO THE CENTER, PAST ME, HOLY, SHIT. Let’s not even get started on the fact that my right foot had a blister from a walk along the bike trail back at home the day prior. Was awful. So we sit. I catch my breath because I’m totally out of shape physically and then explore the whole center. Which frankly was a great place. I liked the layout there far and away better than that of the GenCon center (take that GenCon, I’ll probably never go to you again, jerk).  We get a nice photo on the top of the center with my phone and experience the pretty night lights and humid air of Pittsburgh, catching food just after. I could talk about the food a lot longer than I should so were just gonna say “It was all very very good”. K? K.   Eventually Serpent walks back to the hotel and I suffer my way there behind him in short enough order even if it didn’t feel like it at all. I shower off the sweat of the day (a common theme of the event, mind) and we bullshit before bed for Friday. It was around this point in time a slight feeling of worry looms in the room. See, my biggest hang up with Furry Cons™ is I always think to myself “What would I even do there?” I had never been to a con without a purpose before. This year I went purely because ‘it was time I did’ and part of me wanted to cure my social life issues. But Serpent was firmly in the same boat I had rowed in for a long while before diving into the FurOcean™ head first. And I guess it became my job to flip the boat... violently. (Its a fucking metaphor, okay? Thankyou).   We get to bed and plot our wake up time and course for the opening ceremony. Which we need to get up an hour before hand for. Wasn’t too terribly hard to do outside of my badge I had made breaking and needing repairs and us being frugal losers and making sandwiches for later during lunch hours. So I swallow my hopes and dreams and take the walk of shame to the con center. The worry following like a stink all the while. But as we get closer we see more and more tails; which is about all you need to really see to know you’re going the right way. By the time we were through the doors the number of people ahead of us was staggering, honestly. I knew the con average population due to prior research, but Thursday was such a poor marker from what we were in for. Especially since Serpent had never been. We follow the flow of traffic and wind our way into opening ceremonies and sit down, which is the best part about it for me honestly. It frankly was a bit hype, really getting me motivated to re-explore the (now repopulated and changed) con space. It was a large smattering of looking around the Dealer’s Den and Artist Alley. In which I got to very briefly say hi to and shake hands with SonicFox5000. Who I admire quite a fair bit for his skills at like... everything. Boy’s got a genius or something, I dunno. But after sending EVO related well wishes we parted and gave him back his space to enjoy the con too. Then going further to pick up a commission from art_eric. Which was a great treat to see the next morning and I love and cherish the piece and will forever.   And at his point I can essentially sum up my experience of the con. Not totally, but mostly. We just kinda hung out -- “Okay Necro, I’ve been listening[reading] but that seriously sounds like no fun...” Hush, you see, you’d think that. Anyone would. But Serpent and I didn’t have any friends attending. So we had few people to visit. In return though we got to just kinda... take everything in. And seriously and honestly and truly?.. it was amazing. It was an immensely relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere. Even for someone who doesn’t take being swamped in 7000 people well. Attending the con is easily one of the best things I’ve done for myself in a long time, especially this year.   Re-walk, re-suffer, eat, re-shower, sleep. Aside from the notable hanging around with some absolute furry strangers at dinner; which was not only a loud experience (although not because of them), but also a quite enjoyable one. The next day had arrived. This was around when it really sunk in that flipping the boat like an Orca playing with it’s food was worth it. We did so much, yet... as I lay there dying falling asleep we both could just prattle on about what to do tomorrow. Even going so far as exclaiming “I can’t believe its still Friday”. Call it fate or whatever. But I mean here we are, away from home, and I don’t want to leave it. But swallowing a little dread of it ending (yeah it took a day and a half to get pre-PCD) I get to bed.   Tomorrow rolls in with it’s painful heat and humidity to batter the con and I for one reason or another get up way to damn early. Well before Serpent and cut my way to the con letting him sleep more. I pick up my commission, choke up a little, and relax. I needed it. A bit different than previous since I was alone this time but at this point I just kind of settled into a nice sitting space and enjoyed the con goers. Talking with some people and then catching up with Serpent for the parade. Which, like everything else so far had been wonderful. Beyond just taking in everything and attending the Sketchbook Swap as well as playing some games we cap the night off with the Saturday night rave (its rave right? like it counts? it counts) and turn in.   Really it’s just kinda of an assumed statement that the whole while this is going on I’m at the bottom of the FurOcean™ and loving it. See I can make my bad jokes relevant and still bad~ Sunday is a lot harder than Saturday though. I somehow managed to replace the worry of ‘not having anything to do’ with ‘I don’t want it to end’. But Serpent and I just soak up the last bits of AnthroCon while we can and finally attend the closing ceremony. We didn’t exactly do much Sunday but in a way I, at the very least, was whipped. So it was totally okay just kind of decompressing from the mess that was the past two and half days. Then comes closing ceremony and the two of us migrating all our purchases to the car before grinding our way home.   What can I say other than “Would go again” really? It’s hard to think of the past month because of it. It’s just kind of this whirl of emotions, and frankly I’m okay with that. Its really a huge motivator to put myself in the community rather than the fringes on the net. Also somewhat eye opening what the true shades of it all is really like. You get a hugely different perspective when you’re there. Sure it had its hangups here and there, you see it mostly from social media like twitter where its easier to find. And sure that those hangups suck. But as an attendee it was awesome and I’m sure the staff will smooth out the remaining rough edges they got snagged on. To which I look forward to next year and hope I can attend for sure. Beyond AnthroCon, this month has just been idly working on some art here and there and getting my social media more up to date. And I’ll have more art rolling down the tubes as we move into next month. Things have taken a huge upswing and I’m more capable of keeping up with things as it is. As well as far more motivated to make art. To anyone who made it this far, thank your for reading! I don’t really blog like this often. But I hope you enjoyed and I luv u <3.

[hanahaki-dot-com]

Arcade Bartop with Raspberry Pi & RetroPie DIY tutorial (with pictures) - Part 1 of 6 - Introduction

Owning a "coin-op", or to better say an arcade gaming cabinet, has always been one of my biggest dreams since I was a kid. Unfortunately, they take up a lot of space in a typical house and they're also rather expensive: on top of that, they are usually limited to a single game (or a given set of games), which is far from ideal for a home-entertainment scenario. Starting from the late '90s, the MAME project (Multiple-Arcade-Machine-Emulator) and the subsequent release of small single-board computers such as the NUC and the Raspberry PI paved the way to fix most of these issues - yet only for the few heroes brave (and capable) enough to build their own Arcade Cabinet and equip it with the required amount of hardware, software and ROMs to make everything work: those who couldn't do that had to lower their standards down to a standard PC with a couple of joysticks/joypads. They could still feel the joy of playing countless retro-games on a single machine, yet they won't have the chance to revive the cabinet look & feel like the former ones. For countless years I was one of them - until the day I decided I would also try to design and build my own Arcade Bartop! This post is the first part of an extensive tutorial containing all the required instructions on how to do that - together with a lot of pictures, graphics and photos explaining and documenting the task. I would have liked to condense everything into a single article, but considering the huge amount of info and photos I had to put up to decently explain all the required steps I eventually had to split the tutorial into six parts. Part 1 of 6: Introduction & Raw Materials Part 2 of 6: Tools, Design & Prototype Part 3 of 6: Building the Cabinet Part 4 of 6: Painting & T-Molding Part 5 of 6: Installing the Hardware Part 6 of 6: Configuring the Software (Raspberry PI & Retropie) Check out all the pictures of the Arcade Bartop (all those used in this tutorial + more) on my Arcade Bartop album on Flickr.com.

Introduction: Full-Size Cabinet vs Bartop Cabinet

As soon as I chose to build a gaming cabinet by myself, I was forced to choose between doing a Full-Size (aka Upright) or a Bartop (aka Countertop) cabinet. As clearly explained in this awesome Wikipedia page, the former are what we're used to see in a typical Arcade Gaming Hall: five-to-six feet (180/200 meters) tall, with the control panel set perpendicular to the monitor at slightly above waist level and the monitor itself at eye level, with the marquee above it - either matching the player's head level or encompassing it. Conversely, Countertop or Bartop cabinets are usually only large enough to house their monitors and control panels: they're called that way because they can be usually found on bars or tables in pubs and restaurants. Long story short, I went with the Bartop cabinet - I'll just call it Arcade Bartop from now on - for three main reasons: It's way cheaper in terms of required raw materials and tools. It's way easier to build,  as you won't have to do complex wood cuts. It's more practical, expecially if you want to make it fit into an average apartment: the full-size cabinet requires a fixed place and a certain amount of space, while the bartop can be easily moved, placed upon a table/desk/shelf and so on. For the above reasons, the guide you're about to read will explain how to build an Arcade Bartop. In case you want to build a full-size cabinet, you can check out this exceptional tutorial from ILikeToMakeStuff.com. Why Do it Yourself? In case you're asking why DIY in 2018 when you can just purchase a pre-made cabinet from a dedicated store such as GameRoomSolutions, ArcadeWorld or even eBay or Amazon, well... That's not as simple as you might initially think. First of all, you have to accept that given layout - which is a relevant aspect of the whole thing; you'll probably also have to bear with a sub-optimal software setup, since these pre-made cabinets are rarely equipped with a NUC or a Raspberry PI with an updated RetroPie - which is the only solution that gives you the chance to play virtually any retro-game ever made: MAME, NES, SNES, Genesis, PC Engine, NEO-GEO, Amiga, Laser Games such as Dragon's Lair and so on; last but not least... you'll definitely miss a lot of fun! And also the immeasurable gratification of looking something like this...

... knowing that you actually put that beast into life with your own hands. Needless to say, if you don't think that such feeling is not worth the hassle of having to draw, saw, cut, screw, sand, polish, paint (and many other heroic acts) for A LOT of hard-working hours, just spare yourself from the trouble and buy a pre-made, ready-to-play cabinet or bartop from one of the resellers above. I can personally guarrantee that you won't lose much in doing that: although it's true that doing it by yourself will cost a lot less in terms of raw materials, the required amount of work you'll need to invest will definitely square up. Which lead us to the following question... How much it will cost? The whole project will cost you about 230€ (approx. 265$) of raw materials and will give you a machine that can be compared to the GameRoomSolutions' Plug & Play Deluxe, which is currently being sold for 1099$ (approx.  945€): this basically mean that the DIY will cost roughly four times less (!) than going for the hassle-free purchase - as long as you'll have the required tools (see Part 2). That's not bad, as long as you're willing (and capable) to deal with it. If you're still reading I guess you are up for the task, hence... Enough with the talking and let's do this!

Raw Materials

Let's start with a comprehensive list of what you'll need in terms of raw materials (and the approximate price) to build the Arcade Bartop shown above. I also put some advices and considerations on the various pieces and a descriptive photo with some other comments that you could find useful to better understand the role of each one of them. Multi-layered Wood  - 2 square meters (50€ / 60$). You could also use Chipboard Wood instead for half the price, which is the wood type used by to build most pre-made cabinets... However, I strongly advise to go with the multi-layered, as it's stronger, lighter and won't have moistness issues.

These are the required raw wood panels - don't worry, I'll explain how to get/cut them later on. 19" TFT monitor (40€ / 50$). Don't spend much money on this... a used or refurbished one from eBay or Amazon Marketplace will be more than enough - as long as it works! You need to be sure that it will fit in the Bartop cabinet case, hence get one with a 420 mm max width and 340 mm max height rame (or less). Also, ensure that it supports a HDMI and/or DVI connector, otherwise you'll be forced to also buy a HDMI-to-VGA adapter (6€ / 8$) to make it work with the Raspberry PI output. I was lucky enough to find a refurbished NEC 19" EA193MI for 40€ on eBay, which has the perfect size (408 x 338 x 65 mm) and a DVI-in.

Here's the NEC EA193MI, the monitor that I used for this project. Needless to say, the base stand won't be needed and will be removed. USB Stereo Speakers (10€ / 12$) for the audio part.  For this project I picked the Trust Leto, but any other Speaker set will do as long as the speakers have a width, height and length size of 8 centimeters max: the Arvicka Speakers, the Myguru Stereo and many others around that size would also work.

A couple of Trust LETO boxes: I bought two sets of speakers because I built two cabinets, but you'll need only one. Raspberry PI 3 B (or B+) kit (40€ / 50$). Be sure to get a kit which includes the board together with a case, the heat sinks and a power supply: there's a lot of them on Amazon and eBay. The one I used here isn't available anymore, but this one from CanaKit is almost identical and has the same set of features.

Here's the Raspberry PI, already secluded in its case. The one I got also had a cooling fan on top of the two heat sinks... a nice add-on. MicroSD Card - 64GB (15€ / 20$). I got this one for my setup, but the Raspberry PI will accept anything else. You could also go for a 32GB and save some bucks here - it will still contain thousands of ROMs.

The Samsung EVO Plus is a class-10 MicroSD: it's 100Mb/s transfer rate will perform well with the Raspberry PI. T-Molding (15mm) - 5 meters (3€ / 3.5$ plus shipping). You'll probably have to buy this online, as few stores have it available. I got mine from arcadeworlduk.com and I'm very happy with the results, although it was quite difficult to put it on... as you'll see later on.

A couple Raspberry PI Arcade Joystick Kits (35€ / 40$). For this project I bought  two of these kits from Quimat which are a perfect fit, but any other kit will do - for example, this Gamelec kit will also work: just remember that the Raspberry PI will need two driver kits (the green circuit board), one for each joystick, hence you need to avoid the 2-kits that come with a single driver board (such as this one - just like the item description says).

The QUIMAT Arcade Joystick kits... at a rather advanced implementation stage. More on that later on! A power strip (5€ / 7$) and a IEC320 C14 power socket connector (5€ / 7$ including the 10A fuse) for the power part. Just get these stuff on Amazon without worrying too much for the size, as the cabinet will have enough space to host it. If you can, try to get both of them with an ON/OFF switch for increased security and versatility: I did that to be able to turn the Bartop ON and OFF from the inside and/or from the outside.

Each one of these will go within a cabinet to plug the Raspberry PI, the monitor and the (optional) LED bar. We'll see how to properly wire them later on. It's worth mentioning that the power part of this tutorial might need some adjustments, depending on the country you live in: what I bought and did below will work well for Italy and for most EU countries. A (optional) 50cm LED bar (3€ / 5$) and a AC/DC driver to power it (5€ / 7$ including the power plug). You'll only need these if you want to retro-illuminate the Bartop Marquee through a simple (and energy efficient) LED-based back-light mechanism. Once again I got everything from Amazon: the SODIAL led bar was ridiculously cheap, as well as the Liqoo 12W Led Driver that I used to power it: both of them performed greatly.

The LED driver DC cables go to the LED strip, while the AC ones go to a power socket through a plug. Water-based enamel (8€ / 10$ for a 5L can) and Primer for wood (8€ / 10$ for a 5L can). Within this project I went for a total-white cabinet and a black/white one: I managed to do both with a single Primer 5L can and two 5L enamel cans (one black and one white).

Primer on the left, black enamel on the right. I chose water-based paintings because they have low environmental impact and will perform well for this kind of work. A pack of (at least) 100 screws (6€ / 8$ for a 250-pack of 3.5x40mm size) to assemble the cabinet, plus 10-20 mini-screws (3€ / 4$) for the small parts - if you don't want to use the glue, see below - and also 4 VESA mount screws/bolts (M4) for the monitor (1.5€ / 2$). As for the VESA screws, they'll be most likely included in the monitor itself, yet you'll probably need them to be longer since you'll have to mount the monitor in a non-standard way: I used four M4x25mm for such task, as you'll see later on. I got the screws from Amazon and the rest from a local hardware store for few bucks.

A couple of hinges and magnet lockers for the openin/closing mechanism of the cabinet back-side opening (5-10$ total). If you sum all the listed prices, you'll end up with 230€ / 265$ - which is precisely what we said earlier.

Conclusion

That's about it for Part 1: throughout this post we got a good understanding of what an Arcade Bartop actually is and we went through the pros and cons of building it by ourselves: right after that, we put together a list of the required raw materials & components together with their price and some useful insights on how to properly choose and buy them. Let's now jump to the Part 2 of this tutorial, where we'll take a look of the required Tools, learn how to Design our project and build a full-scale, cardboard-based Prototype to check up the sizings & measurements before cutting the wood. If you have any question or want to leave your feedback, you're more than welcome to do that using the comment section below! Here are the links to the next parts of this guide: Part 1 of 6: Introduction & Raw Materials Part 2 of 6: Tools, Design & Prototype Part 3 of 6: Building the Cabinet Part 4 of 6: Painting & T-Molding Part 5 of 6: Installing the Hardware Part 6 of 6: Configuring the Software (Raspberry PI & Retropie) Check out all the pictures of the Arcade Bartop (all those used in this tutorial + more) on my Arcade Bartop album on Flickr.com.   Read the full article